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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28379292">Ballare (To Dance)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightSparks/pseuds/MidnightSparks'>MidnightSparks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Awkward Kageyama Tobio, Ballet, Dyslexic Kageyama Tobio, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Kageyama Tobio-centric, Kitagawa Daiichi, M/M, Multi, Oblivious Kageyama Tobio, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Volleyball, gender stereotypes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:40:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,383</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28379292</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightSparks/pseuds/MidnightSparks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kageyama’s first love is volleyball. His second, however, is ballet. </p><p>In one world, Kageyama Tobio is left behind by his parents. In this world, the existence of soulbonds keeps Kageyama’s parents in Miyagi and leaves Kageyama in the care of his grandma and grandpa.</p><p>(In which soulmates exist and that changes everything and nothing at the same time.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou &amp; Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio &amp; Karasuno Volleyball Club, Kageyama Tobio &amp; Kyoutani Kentarou, Kageyama Tobio &amp; Tsukishima Kei, Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>292</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1385</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. “Ballet?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kageyama’s parents are part of the small percentage of the population without soulmates. In a society that holds soulmates in high regard, Tobio’s parents are only deemed “acceptable” because they found love regardless of their blank skin and have a child: a respectable existence. </p><p>
  <strike> (At least, that’s what people think) </strike>
</p><p>In truth, Tobio’s parents only stay together because they fear what society will say if they separate. Both parents resent society for keeping them together, they hate each other for the reminder, and they hate Tobio for representing everything they hate. As such, Tobio grows up alone in a quiet household, too young to understand <em> why </em>. </p><p>In another world, Tobio’s grandfather is the only one that cares for Tobio when his parents leave. In this world, Tobio is left with both his grandfather and grandmother while his parents travel for “work”. And the existence of a single person changes Kageyama Tobio’s future. </p><p>Kageyama’s first love is still volleyball. He learns how to receive and jump and serve under his grandfather’s careful eye and (like destiny) learns to love the sport. He spends the summer after he turns five at his grandparent’s house, playing volleyball every second he is awake and <em> thrives </em>. </p><p>His second love, however, is dancing. Tobio is six, a year has passed since he was introduced to volleyball, and he is curious. Tobio’s grandmother is an elegant woman, intimidating in her silence and graceful beauty. However, Tobio is trapped inside because of the rain (and bored out of his mind), so he works up the courage to ask. </p><p>“Grandma, if Grandfather’s specialty is volleyball, what do you specialize in?” Tobio’s grandmother responds with a gentle smile and carefully takes his hand to pull him to the living room. </p><p>“Grandma?” Still smiling that all-knowing smile, she sits Tobio in front of the TV and fiddles around with the remote. </p><p>“Your Grandpa,” she begins, “loves volleyball. Kind of like you do, now. I love ballet”. </p><p>Tobio blinks at her. “Ballet?”</p><p>In lieu of a response, Grandmother presses a button on the remote and turns Tobio’s head to face the TV. Still confused, Tobio focuses on the screen. On screen, an empty stage blinks back at him. </p><p>“Patience, Tobio”. </p><p>A little longer, and Tobio hears the thrum of soft instrumental music flowing from the speakers. People, both men and women, flood out from behind the curtains and onto stage in sparkly outfits. The music pauses, the people on stage pose, and when the music resumes, the stage erupts into a flurry of movement. Their movements are graceful as they float across the stage, arms and legs extended as they spin, jump, and twist. Tobio watches with wide eyes as a woman takes center stage with an impossible leap, lands on her toes, and turns right into a sequence of spins. He blinks when she continues spinning. And spins some more. The longer she remains spinning, the farther his jaw drops. </p><p>When the music cuts out and the screen turns black, Tobio continues to stare at the TV. He can still see the people dancing on the empty screen and hear the swell of music. His mouth is dry and there is a furious <em> thump-thump-thump </em>in his chest. </p><p>“Tobio?” He turns to face his grandmother.</p><p>“Grandma.” He tears his eyes away from the TV. “I want to learn ballet.” She tilts her head and stares at him. </p><p>“Are you sure? It won't be easy.”</p><p>Tobio nods fervently. “Please.” She smiles back at him. </p><p>The next day, she takes him to a ballet studio and enrolls him in lessons. </p><p>He spends the rest of summer playing volleyball and learning ballet, and goes back to his grandparent’s house each day endlessly excited. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~ </p><p> </p><p>When summer ends, Tobio is shipped back to his parent’s house in Miyagi. His mother barely looks at him when he mentions that he picked up ballet. His father narrows his eyes and stays silent. </p><p>They agree to let him attend ballet lessons, but not as often as his grandparents had sent him. There is a twisting sensation beneath his ribs, but Tobio stays quiet. <strike> It's better when he is quiet because he only ever causes trouble. </strike>Instead, he spends more time playing volleyball. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~ </p><p> </p><p>Every summer Tobio is shipped off to his grandparent’s house <strike>and it feels like freedom</strike>. He spends his time playing volleyball and dancing <strike> and he wants to ask if he can stay here all the time, but he knows better than to ask because asking marks people mad, why can’t he learn--   </strike></p><p>Grandpa teaches Tobio how to cook, and Tobio spends early mornings and dinner time with his grandparents, laughing and talking more in a single night than he does at home. </p><p>Grandma helps Tobio do his homework and sits with him while he struggles through the problems. She cuts up fruit and leaves it at his elbow, and hums softly while she shows him how to knit. </p><p>Tobio shows off, sometimes, for his grandparents. He takes them into the yard after dinner and passes the ball back and forth with his Grandpa, listening to Grandma’s laughter when either of them messes up. He turns and leaps and <em> spins </em> for his grandma, whirling across the living room floor while his grandparents laugh and his grandmother sings from where she is nestled in Grandpa’s arms. </p><p>One day, Tobio flops onto the floor and complains out loud, “Grandma, Grandpa, I don’t understand why I have to finish all my homework.” He sulks into the tatami and reaches out for a slice of orange. </p><p>“Homework is irrelevant and useless.” Grandpa replies immediately. There is a solid-sounding <em> thwap </em> from somewhere above Tobio’s head. “Owwww..”</p><p>“Homework is important, Tobio. Never let your idiot Grandpa convince you otherwise. It’s how you learn the materials taught in school and how you prepare for tests.”</p><p>“Why are my grades so important anyway?” <strike> This is the most casual/relaxed Tobio knows how to be. At home--- </strike></p><p>A sigh from above his head. “Tobio. Grades determine your admission to High School. Which helps--”</p><p>“CHOOSE YOUR VOLLEYBALL TEAM”. Grandpa cuts in, and is rewarded with another solid hit to his arm.</p><p>“-- you succeed in the future. Do your best, okay darling? For me?” Grandma finishes as if there was no interruption from her soulmate. Then she turns around and grins at Grandpa, “You only think studying is useless because you got bad grades in school” And from there the two dissolve into friendly bickering and laughter. </p><p>
  <strike> Is this what soulmates are like? Tobio…. Wants this, whatever “this” is.  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~ </p><p> </p><p>Tobio is Bad at people. Bad enough that the “b” needs to be capitalized. He comes off too stiff, awkward in a way that makes other kids weary of him. He makes somebody cry because his face is scary and after months of silence at home, words won’t leave his mouth right. </p><p><strike>What is he doing wrong, something is wrong with him, different when Tobio just wants to be normal.</strike> </p><p>Tobio stops trying to make friends. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~ </p><p> </p><p>Tobio enrolls in Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High. He plays volleyball and sneaks out of the house to dance.</p><p>His father shoves him out the door with a reminder that <em> “only </em> girls <em> dance, Tobio, you damned prissy, just join the volleyball club like a </em> boy <em> ”. </em> <strike> The twisting in Tobio’s chest grows worse, but the bruises on his back say that talking back is a bad idea </strike>. Tobio remains mute.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Kitagawa Daiichi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tobio meets Kindaichi, Kunimi, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi. it doesn't go well.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobio walks into the gym on the first day of middle school and is stunned into silence by the sheer size of the room. The hardwood floor is polished but well-worn, the courts are blocked in by thick white lines, the bright LED lights hang from a tall ceiling, and it was <em> perfect for playing. </em>Tobio’s fingers twitch in his pockets as he eyeballs the court. </p><p>Other students file into the gym behind him and are similarly gaping at their surroundings. Tobio runs a cursory glance over the gathered students, but doesn’t move to get closer. </p><p>“First year students! Please line up behind me” Somebody (the coach?) calls from the center of the gym. “Regulars, in front of me; everybody else, single file behind the regulars.” There is a brief silence while people shuffle around, and then the coach(?) turns around to face the gaggle of new players behind him. “Introduce yourselves: name, age, elementary school, and how long you have been playing volleyball.” He steps away with a nod at the first person in line. </p><p>Tobio resists the urge to whimper. Social interactions are <em> horrible, </em> his palms were already clammy at the mention. Breathing carefully ( <em> 5, 6, 7, 8, inhale, 5, 6, 7, 8), </em>Tobio tuned in right as it was his turn. </p><p>Avoiding eye contact with… everyone, Tobio steps out of line and bows low. “Kageyama Tobio. 12.  Akiyama Elementary. I’ve been playing for seven years. Looking forward to working with you.” He drops into another bow before stepping back in line and taking a breath. </p><p>Tobio listens with half a ear as the rest of his year-mates introduce themselves and watches the regulars out of the corner of his eye. </p><p>He only snaps back to attention when the coach claps and announces, “Get warmed up everyone. We’ll be running drills for receiving, spiking, setting, and serving in five minutes.” With that, the coach walks away to talk to another man, swapping clipboards and comparing notes. </p><p>Tobio blinks at the sharp dismissal, but shrugs and begins his usual volleyball warmups. Since volleyball doesn't require as much flexibility as ballet, Tobio sticks to the usual hamstring, shoulder, thigh, core, neck, and hand stretches instead of sinking into the deep stretches he reserved for ballet. </p><p>At another sharp clap, Tobio joins the rest of the boys in front of the coach, still shaking out his wrists. He ends up behind a tall third-year student with spiky brown hair. He takes a breath in, holds for five seconds, and lets his concentration sharpen.</p><p>The world around him gets louder, brighter, sharper, and Tobio’s anxiety fades behind the scent of rubber and court-polish. The nervous shuffling of feet dulls to background noise and everything on court gets louder. </p><p>A sharp smack draws Tobio’s attention to a player in the adjacent court. A first year, taller than Tobio by not-an-insignificant amount, receives a decently powerful spike. Tobio takes note of his key characteristics (hair sticking up in a weirdly shallot-like shape and unfair height) and then refocuses on his own court. </p><p>When his turn comes around, Tobio’s focus expands and then sharpens on the ball. He shifts back just enough to negate the spin, and tightens his core to send the ball arcing upward. He breaths out, repeats thrice, and jogs on to the next station.</p><p>
  <strike> He misses the way people watch him, silent and considering, and the coach’s raised eyebrow </strike>
</p><p>The rest of the practice session flies by with Tobio lost in the haze of focus. When he spikes, he feels a sharp grin <strike>terrifying, people tell him</strike> stretching across his face as he tries his best straights and crosses. His sets are in good form today, and he watches the ball arc toward the spiker’s hand exactly as his calculated trajectory predicted. His serves are okay.</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>The boy’s volleyball team at Kitagawa Daiichi was amazing. Middle school players were amazing. They were on a whole other level when it came to volleyball. Blocking, receiving, spiking, <em> setting </em>. </p><p><em> Especially </em> the setting. And the <em> serving.  </em></p><p>Tobio is probably going to worship Oikawa Tooru for the rest of his time here. <em> Probably. Most likely. </em></p><p>
  <em> … </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Definitely.  </em>
</p><p>The other setter was amazing. His teammates during the scrimmage matches spiked better than they did during practice and his <em> serve…. That beautiful jump serve…. Nnnghhhhhhh </em></p><p>Would Oikawa-san (Oikawa-senpai??) teach him that serve if Tobio asked politely?? How does he control that power anyway it was almost--</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>Tobio startles so badly that his back slams into the locker behind him and drops his jacket. He drops down to pick it up while rubbing his back and hissing. “Owwww...” He stands up and blinks at… the shallot-headed guy. “Ah. Sorry I was lost in thought.”</p><p>“It’s fine. Sorry for startling you.” He makes a shallow bowing motion. “Kindaichi Yutaro, nice to meet you. How long did you say you were playing volleyball?”</p><p>Kageyama sketches his own bow. “Kageyama Tobio. I’ve been playing for seven years. You?”</p><p>“Five! You’re really good, ya’know?” Kindaichi smiles at him before pushing another guy in front of Tobio. “This guy is Kunimi. We’ve known eachother since elementary”</p><p>“Kunimi Akira.” The sleepy-looking boy nods. </p><p>“Kageyama Tobio.” Tobio sketches another bow. “And thanks.” Kunimi looks like he’s going to fall asleep on his feet. His hair is parted down the middle and even with his bad posture, Kunimi is around Tobio’s height. </p><p>Kindaichi and Kunimi walk with Tobio until the school gate, talking mostly about volleyball and their favorite teams. It’s… nice. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa-senpai and Iwaizumi-senpai are captain and vice-captain, respectively. Tobio respects them more than any other player on the team and probably more than he respects the coach. Oikawa-senpai’s serves and sets are amazing, he gets along well with the rest of the team in a way Tobio never does, and he works hard. (His personality is… a bit weird though…) Iwaizumi-senpai’s spikes are vicious, he cares about his teammates, and he keeps Oikawa-senpai’s weirder behavior in check. </p><p>They, on the other hand, hate Tobio. Or at least Oikawa-senpai does.</p><p>Tobio doesn’t know why. <strike>What is it with people who hate him, what did he do wrong? What about him makes them like this, Tobio just-</strike>-  He takes to greeting them politely and moving away quietly. <strike>It feels like being at home, skirting around an invisible line and trying not to draw attention because attention means drawing ire. And pain. It grates on his nerves and makes him twitchy. </strike></p><p>The other players notice. Oikawa-senpai is the most popular student in school and the team’s official setter. Tobio is neither friendly nor popular, there is no competition. The other students send apologetic glances his way, but they all stay away from him when Oikawa-senpai is nearby. <strike> Why? </strike></p><p>Kindachi and Kunimi greet him, but they, too, stay away. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p>Tobio<strike> is too much of a coward </strike> is bidding his time to approach Oikawa-senpai. He still doesn’t know what he did wrong, but whatever he did doesn’t seem to be fading with time. </p><p>He takes his chance at night. Everybody else has left the gym, but Oikawa-senpai always stays for extra practice. Tobio takes a breath, squares his shoulders, and walks up behind Oikawa-senpai. </p><p>“Um.” No response. “Oikawa-senpai?”</p><p>“No. I don’t wanna talk to you Tobio-chan.” Tobio feels his shoulders droop. Oikawa-senpai moves to brush past him and their wrists brush. </p><p>Something bright and hot burns its way onto Tobio’s wrist, and he makes a surprised squeaking sound while flinching away. He lifts up his sleeve to find--- Oh. oh. OH. He jerks his head back toward Oikawa-senpai, and there is something soft and shy <strike> hopeful? </strike> blooming beneath his ribs. </p><p>And then he sees Oikawa-senpai’s expression, and the softness withers. The twisting, sinking, cold feeling Tobio normally associates with his father spreads to his stomach and chest, creeping towards his neck. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Iwaizumi-senpai and Oikawa-senpai corner him two days later. Iwaizumi-senpai’s name and a dinosaur(?) brands itself beneath Oikawa-senpai’s name and symbol on his wrist. </p><p>They tell him no.</p><p>
  <strike> Why? What did Tobio do-- </strike>
</p><p>Tobio walks home, numb. He won’t be staying late at the gym anymore. </p><p>
  <strike> He doesn’t respond properly to his father and doesn’t leave the house for the next two days </strike>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Soulmates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An explanation of soulmates/soulmarks! Also, Tobio meets Kyoutani and the boys bond over volleyball and food. The two of them have similarly scary faces, love volleyball, and neither have friends,, so.... I thought they were kinda similar... (Also, Tobio dances)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Most of the world has soulmates, either platonic or romantic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Platonic bonds appear as shapes anywhere on the body, snapping into place when both sides of the bond trust the other enough and form without physical contact. Platonic soulmates are linked through various means from the very beginning of the bond (sharing one of five senses, awareness of the other’s location, shared emotions, etc). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Romantic bonds are signified through the appearance of a name and symbol on the wrist, and are triggered by physical contact. Unlike platonic soul-bonds, romantic soulbonds develop slowly. As the relationship between romantic soulmates develops, the ink of the soulmark comes to life and the symbols start to move. In addition, the link between soulmates grows stronger with their relationship, which means that a romantic pairing might share multiple “abilities” depending on their relationship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Polybonds between multiple romantic soulmates are a mystery. Most of them deteriorate and one member ends up being left behind, but there is a fair percentage of polybond pairings that have worked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While rejection is common, it is not deemed acceptable to have no soul-bonds. Those without soulmate markings are often thought of as “heartless” and are often outcasts of society. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio poked at the grey soulmate markings on his wrist, sighing. The grey color displayed his rejected status to the world </span>
  <strike>
    <span>and reminded him that he was worthless, unwanted</span>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <span>Was it because of volleyball? What did he do wrong?? If he caught up to them, would they tell him where he went wrong--</span>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolling over on his bed, Tobio buried his head under his pillows. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>This is what he gets for getting his hopes up, people like him don’t deserve--</span>
  </strike>
  <span><strike>.</strike> Now that he is avoiding Oikawa-senpai, he has to find another place to practice. Since the middle school team met after school three days of the week, and team practices ran until 5 PM, Tobio had four days to divide between his own volleyball practices and ballet. Normally, Tobio would join his teammates at the gym for extra practice, but since Oikawa-senpai would be there… maybe he could practice with the community team? At the youth center?</span>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <span>Would he even be allowed to?</span>
  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The youth center turns out to be closer to Tobio’s house, so he visits it the following morning. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>His ribs still ache with the remains of a bruise but</span>
  </strike>
  <span> he wants to play.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gym is larger than he had been expecting. It is older than the gym at school, but it is fairly clean and there are already people playing on a Saturday morning. He registers for gym use at the front desk and changes in the locker room before making his way back to the courts. He stretches out in the corner and works his  way through a series of finger warm-ups before approaching the people playing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three of them are teenagers, most likely staff members, but the other is a kid around Tobio’s age. He is slightly taller than Tobio, with a bulkier build and close-cropped hair. The angry scowl on the other guy’s face is nearly identical to the ones Tobio has during candid photographs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah… Do you mind if I join?” As one, all four players look Tobio over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What position?” The tallest player raises an eyebrow at Tobio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Setter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well? What do you think Lone Wolf-kun?” Tobio blinks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lone… Wolf?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t give a fuck. As long as he doesn’t suck”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio feels a scowl pull at his own lips as he glares at the other kid, “Hah?! I don’t! Worry about yourself” They glare at each other while the three older teenagers sigh over their heads.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh great...there’s another one...?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Six hours later, all three teenagers had swapped out with other staff members and an older man had decided to referee their game. Tobio and this “Lone wolf” kid are a sweaty mess on the ground. A sweaty, stubborn mess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… Are you two done now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“FUCK NO, ONE MORE!” The two blink and turn to look at eachother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah… geez, now there is another volleyball maniac… How about you two play on the same team this time?” Tobio is too tired to argue, so he just nods and shuffles under the net to collapse next to the other player. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They leave the court together, both so tired they are basically leaning on each other for support. They make their way to the locker rooms and limp over to the shower. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah… we skipped lunch… I’m so hungry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Same.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They watch each other with narrowed eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other kid breaks the silence first. “Are you coming here again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio nods, but he is so tired that the weight of his head makes him stumble. “Ah. Name’s Kageyama. Kageyama Tobio.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kyoutani Kentarou. You’re okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio grunts at him in response. “... You too”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They lapse into silence for a moment, too tired to talk and shower at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wanna get lunch together? We can compare schedules?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A grunt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stop by a fast food joint. Kyoutani orders eight burgers. Tobio settles for four. Neither of them speak much, but it’s a comfortable silence. They compete over who can eat the fastest and almost get sick, but it is the most normal Tobio has felt in a while. Afterwards, they compare schedules. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They make sure all their visits to the youth center coincide and last at least five hours. Tobio offers Kyoutani tips for receiving and receives criticism on his spike in response. They exchange numbers and share twin smirks before going their separate ways. </span>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <span>Is this how people make friends? Are they friends now???</span>
  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next time they meet, Kyoutani shows up with bruised knuckles and a split lip. Tobio blinks, digs around his backpack for medical tape, and shows Kyoutani how to wrap his fingers. Then he pokes at Kyoutani’s split lip and raises an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you win?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A surprised blink, and then an aggressive smirk. “Hell yeah”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In the background, the manager of the youth center groans into his hands ‘Lone wolf-kun, when I told you to make friends, I didn’t mean to find another one of you…’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, the pair play until they’re a mess on the floor, drag each other to the shower, and stop by the convenience store to purchase twenty pork buns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See ya.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <span>They are friends.</span>
  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time Tobio sneaks out of the house, the studio is empty. The receptionist waves him in and then promptly forgets his existence. Tobio sinks into his stretches, working from a full split into a backwards scorpion, humming a song he remembers from summers spent with his grandmother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He plugs his phone into the speakers and searches through his playlist until he finds his grandma’s favorite classicals. He takes a starting position in the middle of the room, locking eyes with himself in the mirror, and lets the music carry him away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raises himself on to his toes, sweeps his leg out behind him, and launches into his favorite sequence of spins. He reaches downward and then floats up with the music, pivots on his ankle to jump the opposite direction, lands with a spin and lets the momentum carry him into a series of pirouettes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pushes away thoughts of Oikawa and Iwaizumi, doesn’t let the rejection tie him onto the earth, leaping into the air with his arms spread wide (like wings) while the music vibrates through the air around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he thinks of his grandparents, laughing as they bustle around the kitchen, of Kyoutani, who matches him in temper and volleyball and has the same terrifying face. He twists, raises onto his toes, stretches out and spins, spins, </span>
  <em>
    <span>spins</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Keeps spinning until there is no momentum left. He sweeps across the dance floor, turns and runs back across, using the speed to leap into the air with his legs spread in a split. He lands, bends his knee to absorb the momentum, and stills. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart is pounding furiously in his ribcage, his legs feel like limp noodles, and he is panting in an undignified manner, but he feels… peaceful, here. He glances at the mirror and a person looks back at him with a soft smile and sparkling eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p> <span>The fifth time Tobio meets Kyoutani, it’s not at the Youth Center. Tobio turns a corner and sees Kyoutani facing three other kids. Kyoutani is glaring and one of the three already has a black eye. </span></p><p>
  <span>“Aah. You want help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani blinks at Tobio over the shoulders of the other three kids. The three whirl around to look at him, and one trips over his own feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya any good in a fight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh.” They share a grin over the three standing in between them. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>Both of their expressions are mildly terrifying, and the three kids can only stare in shock. One of them whimpers.</span>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take one each and whoever finishes first gets the last?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this a competition?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re on” The three kids don’t stand a chance</span>
  <span>. (Kentarou wins)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was walking back from the ballet studio.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh. A’You any good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. What did they do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Threw rocks at a cat”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A snort. “Assholes. You wanna get pizza?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aah.” They hesitate. Kentarou is the first to hold out a palm. Tobio smiles at him, a soft one this time, and then slaps it as hard as he can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YOU BASTARD,,--- wait what the--” The two shrug off their jacket simultaneously and blink uncomprehendingly as matching thick, black bands appear  around their biceps. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm… It could have been worse. I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio relaxes, snorts, and thwacks Kyoutani’s arm. When he is hit in return, they dissolve into a full-on slap fight even as they walk to get pizza. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think our connection is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah. Fuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Food first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhhm”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Five days after they get their soulmark, Tobio receives a text from Kyoutani: </span>
</p><p>
  <b>BITCH WTF</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>What?</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Image.jpg</b>
</p><p>
  <b>THIS!!!!</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Well… </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Image.jpg</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>We share...skin..? It could be worse???</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT</b>
</p><p>
  <b>THIS IS A FUCKING GROCERY LIST</b>
</p><p>
  <b>I KNOW THESE FUCKIN INGREDIRNTS</b>
</p><p>
  <b>YOUR MAKIJG PORK CURRY WIRHOUTNME</b>
</p><p>
  <b>SHARE WITH UR SOULMATE ASSHOLE</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <span>*Tobio is typing*</span></span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>…</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Wanna come over? </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>FUCK YEAHH</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>So.. we are just ignoring the fact that whatever we write on our skin appears on the other</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Who cares,, Im getin food</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Stop frettin princess</b>
</p><p>
  <b>its chill, we r chill</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Tobio.K.House.maps.google.com</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>^ my address</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Ill get cookin then,,.</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Be there in a hot minte</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Princess</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>More about Tobio's home life and his relationship with Kyoutani.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Tobio was younger, the house was always empty, and the silence echoed. Even though he was always bored, he never dared to leave the house, and instead, spent his time cleaning. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>Maybe if he did something right his parents would stay</span>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes, the silence would get so loud, Tobio’s ears would ring and the high pitched buzzing would drive him to tears and leave him shaking on the floor. On some days, the silence and following apathy was contagious, and Tobio would spend all day buried in a grey haze of exhaustion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the wild, animals learn to cry in order to draw their parent’s attention; left to the echoing silence of his house as he was, was it any wonder that Tobio never learned to cry out loud? He learned early on that drawing attention only brought pain, and nobody cared if he was in pain. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>Nobody ever came for him</span>
  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio thought himself lucky that his parents didn’t care about him. They hated him, sure, but they didn’t hate him enough to actively seek his pain. Rather, they were apathetic and distant, as long as he stayed out of sight, they would leave him alone. Tobio’s mother never even looked at him </span>
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span>why? Please look at me, I exist, what did I do wrong?</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boy.” Tobio flinches. “What is this?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio shakes, mute on the floor. He opens his mouth to answer, but the silence has crept in again, and the words won’t form on his tongue. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Boy. Respond when someone talks to you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio’s nails dig into his knees from where he is kneeling in seiza on the floor. His tongue sits heavy and hot and refuses to </span>
  <em>
    <span>work, dammit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tobio chokes as a heavy foot knocks into his stomach and sends him sprawling backwards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sir” He gasps for breath, scrambling to uncurl and resume seiza. “I won’t forget to attend practice again” Tobio keeps his eyes safely on the floorboards and doesn’t move as his father walks past his (still kneeling) form. He chokes again when a harsh shove pushes him forward and he face-plants on the floorboards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio remains on the floor, not daring to move a muscle, until he hears his father slam the door of the study shut. His breath is irregular and his hands are shaking. His nails have cut into his knees and there is a smidge of blood where his knees hit the ground. He needs to clean that up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio gets up, wets a towel and scrubs the floorboards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, he moves to his room, shuts the door behind him softly, and staggers to his bed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Idiot. You knew he was going to be here today. Should have been more careful </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>this is all your fault</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tobio curls up on top of the covers and lets the panicked buzzing in his ears overwhelm him. He might be trembling, he can’t really tell, and even though he doesn’t make a sound and his eyes don’t scrunch closed, tears stream down his face. The air seems to be thinning in his room. Or maybe Tobio’s lungs have ceased to function correctly, he can’t seem to breath enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <span>It’s all his fault. </span>
  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio starts leaving little messages and doodles for Kyoutani on his arms. When he gets something back in response, a warm, glowy feeling flutters in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio writes on his left forearm: </span>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Hungry. What’s your favorite food?</span>
  </span>
  <span> He gets a response seconds later, written just under his own writing</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Meat. Y. </b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>School, bored</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Same. R u free today? After practice</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Yes. Y</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Dad is busy at work. Dinner? We have barbeque ribs. </b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Y E S .</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>I’ll text u the address</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio smiles into his desk and re-focuses on the lesson, already anticipating the end of the day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The coach announces the starting players and the reserves (benched) players. Tobio isn’t a starter this year, but he doesn’t expect to be, not with Oikawa-senpai still around. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He has to do better. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani lives in the opposite direction of Tobio’s house from the Youth Center. Tobio stops at a convenience store to pick up a cola (Kyoutani’s favourite) and a yogurt drink (for himself). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio squints at his phone screen and then looks up at the street name. He…. is lost. Somehow. Even after following the directions on his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Um. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>What?</b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>I’m lost. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>What. How. </b>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Idk. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>I’m between a library and a convenience store tho…. </span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Help?</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Bitch. </b>
</p><p>
  <b>I’ll b right there. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ribs are delicious, and Tobio eats so much he knocks himself into a food coma. Kyoutani is in a similar state, draped across the couch opposite from Tobio and in the process of melting into the cushions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you do other than volleyball? And eating.” Tobio startles when Kyoutani addresses him from his position face-down on the sofa. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh. I dance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm. Ballet. You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool. I watch movies. Mysteries, typically. </span>
  <span>Wanna watch something together?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They watch a movie and fall asleep half-way through. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio has to run to school the next morning and walks in just before the bell, </span>
  <strike>
    <span>but the corners of his mouth refuse to budge from their upwards tilt. </span>
  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani introduces Disney movies to Tobio. And Tobio is obsessed. (Kyoutani is horrified that Tobio doesn’t know what Disney is). When Kyoutani asks him why, Tobio tells him it's because of the happy ending, but actually, it's because of the characters. They all start off helpless, but over the course of a two hour movie, they find happiness and get stronger. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>Some of them escape their parents. Tobio kinda wants to be a princess from a disney movie. (He hates that they need princes though. Romantic soulmates are… unrealistic? Unreliable?)</span>
  </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio drags Kyoutani to the studio after they get their post-practice burgers. At this time of the week, the studio was often empty and available for individual practice (which was why Tobio was often at the studio in this time)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fuck are we doin’ here?” Tobio shoots Kyoutani a smirk over his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Patience, Kyoutani”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Bastard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio nods at the receptionist and leads them down the corridor and into the first practice room. He flicks on the light switch and Kyoutani makes a surprised noise behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok. What the fuck?” Tobio dips into a split without warning “WHAT THE FUCK.” Tobio just blinks at him and smirks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Patience, Kyou.” Kyoutani scowls at him, but sits on the floor without further protest. After stretching (during which, Kyoutani’s eyes grow wider, and a terrified expression takes over his face as Tobio shows off his flexibility), Tobio plugs in his phone and turns on his grandma’s playlist. He takes position in the center of the room on his toes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Counting down the beats in the music </span>
  <em>
    <span>(5, 6, 7, 8)</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Tobio started with small steps, balancing on his toes and lifting his arms above his head. He sways to the left, turns, skips, and then floats to the right. He dips into a bow, sways back up balancing only on his left leg, and lifts his right leg until it is stretched above his head in a split. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani looks… mildly terrified. Tobio grins at him and then hops into a spin. Following the flow of the music, he draws curving lines in the air with his limbs. He stretches his arms outwards, and then leaps into Tour en l'air. He lands and spins, spins, leaps—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—but then makes the mistake of looking at Kyoutani’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Tobio falls backward, laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look”, he wheezes between laughs, “so stupid”. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>For once, it doesn’t feel like he’s choking on the silence </span>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani doesn’t even respond, too busy gaping at Tobio</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?? Kyou? Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“.... What the fuck? That’s… You… what-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a dance, from a performance last year about this lost princess. The plot is kind of cheesy, but the princess’s dance is cool, so I learned it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the fuck. That was actually kinda cool??” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tobio smiles at him, softer than usual (</span>
  <span>and real).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>The next day in class, when Kyoutani writes to him, Tobio jerks upright before smiling. The message down the side of his left arm reads: </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Hey. Princess. Ur ballet was cool, wouldn’t mind hanging out there some time. </b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. “Please teach me how to serve!!”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobio subs in for Oikawa-senpai during an official game.</p><p>
  <em> He has finally caught up to Oikawa. </em>
</p><p>
  <strike> Does this mean his soulmates are willing to talk to him now? </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>It feels like the beginning of the year all over again, except this time Tobio is bolstered by the thrill of playing an official game. For the first time, it feels like luck is on his side.  Tobio waits until everybody has left the gym except for Oikawa-senpai, squares his shoulders and walks up behind him. </p><p>“Please teach me how to serve!” For a second, Tobio is hopeful, because despite Oikawa-senpai’s silly behavior, he always helped his teammates. And then Oikawa turns around and Tobio sees the <strike> anger hate </strike>dark look in his eyes. Tobio goes to flinch away but a flicker in his peripherals has him freezing where he stands. (Tobio has learned better than to move away from fists and feet). Instead, Tobio turns into Oikawa’s raised hand while clenching his jaw and meets Iwaizumi-senpai’s eyes. He compares, in slow motion, the incoming palm and Iwaizumi-senpai’s stillness. </p><p>
  <em> Ah. He’s not going to stop Oikawa-senpai.  </em>
</p><p>
  <strike> Tobio really should have known better   </strike>
</p><p>The sound of Oikawa’s palm against Tobio’s cheek echoes like a gunshot. Tobio presses his hand to his cheek to soothe the sting and blinks in surprise when he finds himself facing the wall instead of Oikawa-senpai. </p><p>It takes a moment to sink in. </p><p>Tobio opens his mouth to say… something. The twisting feeling morphs into something hot and <em>angry</em> <strike>and hurt</strike> and tightens until Tobio can’t breath. <strike><em>He’s choking on the silence, again.</em></strike> Tobio takes a step back, and over the ringing in his ears, he hears himself apologize and walk away. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>When he gets home, the house is empty. Tobio is relieved for all of a second before he realizes that his room door is open. </p><p>Tobio never leaves his room door open. </p><p>
  <em> Why is it open?? </em>
</p><p>Tobio’s hands shake as he draws closer. He steps into his room and his lungs stop working. </p><p>
  <em> Oh.  </em>
</p><p>His hands are steady when he picks up the remains of his pointe shoes. The soles have been ripped from the fabric and somebody has taken scissors to the ribbons. Tobio’s hands don’t shake as he carefully picks up the remains of his shoes and lays them down into their box. Afterwards, he curls up on the floor next to the box and… Well. Ceases to function. </p><p>Distantly, Tobio is aware that his tears are dripping onto the floor and that he’ll have to clean it up before the saltwater leaves stains on the flooring. His hands are trembling while he digs them into his side. Or maybe it’s Tobio’s whole body. His teeth dig into his lower lip hard enough to draw blood and his lungs attempt to heave up air that he no longer has. The buzzing in his ears sounds like mocking and Tobio wants to sob, to cry for <em> help </em> or <em> attention </em> or <em> warmth </em> but he is a creature of pain and silences, still. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>The next morning, Tobio uncurls from his position on the floor. He drags himself to the bathroom and stumbles through his morning routine, lifeless. </p><p>His shoulders shake when he catches sight of himself in the mirror, and Tobio isn’t sure whether it is supposed to be laughter or sobs. No sound passes through his lips either way. </p><p>Tobio traces the curved line from the corner of his left eye to his lips. His wrist <em> burns </em>.</p><p>Oikawa’s nails are long. As a setter, he should trim his nails before they break. Tobio runs a finger down the mark, again. </p><p>Oikawa’s nails will leave a scar. </p><p>Tobio’s lips twitch. How fitting. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. And Life Goes On</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After the disastrous end to his first year of middle school, Tobio expects something else to go wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing happens. Life goes on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio is sent back to his grandparent’s house for summer and gets tips on how to do jump serves from Grandpa. Grandma raises an eyebrow when he tells her that he needs new pointe shoes, but she takes him to the store without comment. They spend time outdoors, lighting firecrackers during the humid summer nights and his grandparents coach Tobio through partnered dances. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reception at his grandparent’s house is somewhat finicky (ok, it’s terrible), so Tobio spends most afternoons covering his arms with ink, updating Kyoutani about his progress on jump serves and playing hangman. Sometimes, Tobio wakes up to an armful of movie analysis, evidence of Kyoutani’s movie binging, and marks down the names of movies that interest him the most (for later viewing). Other times, Tobio spends sleepless nights sketching out rolling dragons and stretching tigers on his skin and hopes Kyoutani likes the makeshift tattoos. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio’s second year at Kitagawa Daiichi starts, and Tobio shares homeroom with Kunimi and Kindaichi </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spend lunch and break periods talking about volleyball and random topics. Tobio learns that Kunimi’s favorite thing to do is sleep, his favorite snack is salted caramel, and that Kunimi gets some of the highest scores in their year-level. Tobio also learns that Kindaichi has a younger brother and likes grilled corn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Overall, Tobio doesn’t mind getting closer with his teammates. Kunimi and Kindaichi have </span>
  <em>
    <span>potential </span>
  </em>
  <span>for volleyball and they make school less stifling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Also. Pop music. Kindaichi introduces the pop genre to Tobio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It. Hm… Tobio. Hmmm...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pop songs are a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The conversation goes as follows:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you two heard that song on the radio?” Kindaichi is strolling frantically through Youtube. “You know, the one that goes, like…. Da-da-da-da da dum?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio looks at Kunimi, feeling completely lost, and Kunimi turns to meet Tobio’s eyes. They shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What were the lyrics?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kindaichi’s hand freezes. “Uh. Something about dancing. It was in english?” Tobio is still lost, but Kunimi seems to have gotten something from this conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah. You mean this one..?” Kunimi taps at something on his phone and faint music plays. The song is in english, which is Tobio’s worst subject, but--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second, Tobio freezes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maybe he heard wrong?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kunimi must have seen the horror/confusion on Tobio’s face because he asks, “Kageyama? What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh. I might be wrong here… but… Isn’t. Uh. Doesn’t that song talk about… sex??? Why does- who would-- just-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>what.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio must be missing something, because Kindaichi and Kunimi burst out laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama! Don’t tell me you don’t listen to pop music?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pop?? Music?” Tobio wracks his head. “What’s that?” They stop laughing to stare at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no.” Kunimi elbows Kindaichi. “We need to get this grandpa caught up to the times” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Grandpa? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Should Tobio feel offended?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Look.” Kindaichi takes Tobio’s shoulders and looks Tobio in the eye, completely serious. “Pop music. Is a genre. Most people our age listen to it. Yes, there are a lot of inappropriate references, but it’s totally normal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here.” Kunimi pulls Tobio’s phone from his pocket and fiddles with the screen for a few seconds. “I made you a playlist. Listen to it when you get out of school.” Tobio nods his thanks and makes a note to ‘get caught up with the times’ as soon as possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Tobio can’t meet Kindaichi and Kunimi’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama? What’s wrong?” Tobio meets Kunimi’s eyes and turns away, blushing. He hears the… lyrics. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Inappropriate lyrics. </span>
  </em>
  <span>In the background. Every time he glances at the two other players, he is reminded that they listen to… those songs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?? Kindaichi, it looks like Kageyama listened to the playlist. Look, he’s embarrassed!” Tobio blushes harder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They… Those songs talk about sex and love… and hate.. And anger</span>
  <em>
    <span>. Sometimes all at once</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I- I don’t. Uh. How do… Nevermind.” Tobio gives up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kindaichi laughs beside him. “Look! Tobio looks horrified. Or awed. Both?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Horrified awe.” Kunimi confirms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rapping. It's a thing.” Tobio grumbles into his hands. “But there were some softer songs mixed in? Lots about love. And… uh. Sex.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kunimi laughs at Tobio, “You didn’t know rapping was a thing? Tobio, you grandpa.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio feels the flush creep up his neck and onto his ears. He resolves to learn more about these songs, later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani laughs until he cries when Tobio complains about ‘pop music’ and it’s inappropriate references. Tobio pouts and quietly sulks into his burger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani introduces Tobio to horror films. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Who made the sound-effects so real. Just, Why. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio tries to bury his head in the couch cushions while straining to keep his eyes locked on the screen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani lounges next to him, completely unbothered. When he sees Kageyama with his headphones on, still watching the slasher film, he chokes on his drink and laughs at Tobio. Tobio’s headphones block out Kyoutani’s laughter, but when Kyoutani mocks him later, Tobio tackles Kyoutani to the floor and they break two chairs wrestling on the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A little more than halfway through Tobio’s second year of middle school, his mom leaves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio’s father is furious, and Tobio bears the weight of his father’s anger (and he starts falling apart under the weight). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio avoids the house as much as possible-- stays out late, practices until he is trembling in hopes that his father will be asleep by the time Tobio crawls back home. Sometimes, Tobio is successful in avoiding his father. Other times, he comes home exhausted, and Father is waiting in the living room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Father is drunk, Tobio is subjected to angry rants and leaves the house in the morning with bruises. Sometimes, Drunk-Father throws things in Tobio’s general direction, and Tobio knows better than to dodge. Once (or twice, or… many times) Tobio is bruised so heavily he has to make up excuses to leave practice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Father is sober, Tobio is threatened and shoved around until he succumbs to a panic attack and leaves for school the next morning, exhausted and scared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio stops talking with Kunimi and Kindaichi at school, sleeping during lunch and breaks in order to stay awake for practice. Tobio pushes himself harder and harder in practice until nobody on the team can keep up with him. He gains the name “king of the court” for his precise tosses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Kindaichi and Kunimi stop asking him to join them for lunch</span>
  <span>, and Tobio is crumbling under the weight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani knows something is wrong, but he doesn’t push because he knows Tobio is uncomfortable sharing that information. Being around Kyoutani is easy, because with him, Tobio doesn’t need to use words to communicate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Tobio shows up at the youth center with dark circles under his eyes, Kyoutani makes them leave early because he has “to study for a test tomorrow, Tobio, not all of us can memorize everything we are taught”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once, Tobio shows up at the youth center with bruised ribs. (His father had thrown a frying pan and it had crashed into Tobio with a sharp cracking noise). Tobio is struggling to breath, but he needs to practice, so he limps through the door. Kyoutani raises an eyebrow, but he doesn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two hours into a game, Tobio collapses, wheezing, on the court floor and everybody around him fusses over him. Kyoutani shoves everybody away from Tobio and yanks off his shirt, ripping the worn cotton in the process. Tobio is still struggling to draw breath, so he doesn’t realize that the court has fallen silent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What. The. Fuck” Kyoutani’s voice is flat. Tobio looks up and tilts his head in question. “Are your ribs broken?” Oh. Maybe? “I’m taking you to the hospital. No arguments. And then we need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk."  </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tobio opens his mouth to protest. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>No, don’t argue with me Tobio.”</span>
  </em>
  <span>  Tobio shuts his mouth and lets himself be dragged out of the building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It turns out that he had broken ribs. Kyoutani is furious. Tobio refuses to explain until they are at Kyoutani’s home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Explain, now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Father was… mad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-- what even. What the FUCK. I can’t beat up your FATHER.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were going to beat up somebody else through?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio huffs out a (painful) laugh. “Thanks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani snarls, pacing the length of his living room floor. “OK. Um. Shit. I don’t know how to deal with this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyoutani gapes at Tobio. “No, FUCK THAT. Just. Do you have anyone you can tell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Fuck. Is that why you’ve been so weird? Fuck. This is so messed up. Are you okay staying here for a while?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have Father’s schedule memorized. It’s safe to go home some days.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“FUCK your father” Kyoutani’s scowl twists his face into an expression that has most people running away from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck my father.” Tobio feels his face fall into a similar scowl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then Kyoutani (“Just. Call me Kentarou already.”) learns that Tobio has fallen into the habit of sleeping less than four consecutive hours at a time. His enraged scream has everybody within earshot flinching away from him in fear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>(He still lets Tobio curl up next to him on the bed when sleeping gets bad. As a result, Tobio only gets more than four hours of sleep when Kentarou is around.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kentarou takes photographs of Tobio’s bruises and scars whenever Tobio is caught by his father. They start saving “photographic evidence” in a file on Kentarou’s computer. (They are winging the entire process based on some article that Kentarou found on Google because Tobio is too <strike>chicken</strike> worried to tell anybody else). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It turns out that one of Tobio’s ribs is improperly healed from a fracture, and there are a series of scattered scars from when a vase shattered on Tobio’s back and arm. Tobio's forearms and shoulders are marked with thin scars and irritated red lines from finger nails and a long, rectangular scar stretches across his hipbone to his bellybutton from where he was shoved into the sharp marble corner of the kitchen counter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio tells Kentarou about his (romantic) soulmates, and Kentarou’s scowl darkens three shades. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Idiots”, Kentarou mumbles, “Shitty bastards”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Tobio points out the faint line that curves from his eye to the corner of his lips. Kenatou goes apocalyptic. (Tobio makes him promise not to hurt his soulmates)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Life goes on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio introduces Kentarou to his grandparents over facetime. Kentarou is terrified of his grandma, but gets along like a house on fire with Tobio’s grandfather. Tobio’s laughter rings through the house when his grandmother scolds both Kentarou and Grandpa for overlooking the importance of schoolwork. (Like the hypocrite he his, Tobio sides with Grandma when the only reason he keeps up with school is because his grandma thinks it's so important)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobio is introduced to Kentarou’s father. He is… tall. With tattoos and multiple piercings. Also. He is a trauma surgeon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What. Your father is so smart. What the fuck happened to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“HAHH! FIGHT ME, FUCKER!” They nearly break (another) chair wrestling on the floor, but Kentarou’s father just laughs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio and Kentarou ask if they are allowed to get piercings, and Kenatou’s father agrees to take them to the salon when Tobio graduates from junior high. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobio’s father doesn’t send Tobio to his grandparent’s house over summer, and it’s the longest Tobio has ever gone without his grandparents. He <strike> gets homesick </strike>spends most of the summer at Kentarou’s house, playing volleyball and watching movies. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Tobio’s third year of middle school starts. This year, he doesn’t have anybody he talks to in his classes, so he spends most of his time in school memorizing the material and struggling through English class. Kentarou is really, really good at English after all the time he spent watching old American TV shows and movies, but no matter how hard Tobio tries, reading in English gives him headaches and is more trouble than it is worth. </p><p>Kentarou becomes Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s junior at Aoba Johsai, picks a fight with Tobio’s soulmates on the first day of practice and is let off with a week’s worth of suspension. (Tobio scolds Kentarou for leaving a violent first impression on his team, but then laughs until he cries when Kentarou mimics Oikawa’s offended and surprised face) </p><p>It’s… Okay.</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>And then Tobio is called out of class during the first month of school. He doesn’t think much of it, walking nonchalantly into the staff room during fourth period English class. When Tobio sees his father standing in the room, his heart stops. <em> Why is he here? </em>Tobio hasn’t done anything to warrant calling in his parents, at least not that he is aware of, and volleyball practice is going smoothly even if nobody really talks to Tobio and Kunimi and Kindaichi are no longer his friends. </p><p>Tobio’s eyes flicker over to his teachers and then back to his father’s glower. Nobody says anything. His heartbeat pounds in his ears and Tobio can feel his pulse under his skin. </p><p>Still, silence.</p><p>“Father?”</p><p>“Tobio.” Tobio’s teachers exchange looks behind his father’s back. Something is wrong and Tobio’s hands start shaking from where they are hidden in his pockets.</p><p>“Kageyama…” One of his teachers starts, but hesitates.</p><p>“Your grandfather is dead. He is being buried nearby. His funeral will be next month.” Tobio’s father says all at once. His face is closed off and completely flat. Tobio wants to laugh and punch Father for making an inappropriate joke, but Father does not <em> joke </em>. He’s completely serious. </p><p>Distantly, Tobio hears people talking. One of his teachers is shaking a finger at Tobio’s dad. </p><p>“Kageyama?” Somebody is trying to talk to him, but his mouth won’t move. There are black spots dancing in the corners of his vision and ringing in his ears. </p><p>“How?” It takes Tobio a second to realize that he is the one who spoke. </p><p>“Medical issue.”</p><p>“Grandma?”</p><p>“Your Grandmother is going to move into a residence nearby. She’ll be here by the time that volleyball tournament ends. The one coming up, what did you call it again, the inter-high?”</p><p>Tobio’s knees give out from under him, and he reaches out to balance on the wall, except that his hands are still buried in his pockets, so he just ends up staggering into the wall. People are still talking but he can’t hear anything as his world narrows to his heartbeat and the lack of air in his lungs. Ignoring the people who reach out to stop him, Tobio staggers out of the staff room. </p><p>Fuck. </p><p>He hadn’t visited his grandpa this summer. The one year he didn’t travel to his grandparent’s house, Grandpa left. </p><p>Gone</p><p>Grandpa was <em> gone.  </em></p><p>Grandpa, who taught Tobio volleyball and made the <em> best </em> pork curry. </p><p>Grandpa, who slow-danced with Grandma every night after dinner, who laughed from his gut with his head thrown back.</p><p>Grandpa, who insisted on lighting firecrackers every summer, who taught Tobio how to set and serve and receive.</p><p>Grandpa, who was <em> gone.  </em></p><p>“Oh… Oh <em> fuck </em> ” Tobio collapses on the floor, and something like a whimper or a moan tears a hole through his chest. “ <em> He’s dead </em> . <em> Fuck” </em></p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>He devotes the next two month to volleyball, practicing with an intensity that has his entire team scared of him. Tobio vaguely remembers snapping at his teammates to <em> do better </em> or <em> jump faster, </em>but most of the time is lost to a grey haze of anger and regret and loss and grief so thick Tobio suffocates. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Tobio practices volleyball so much that even Kentarou can’t keep up. Most days, he leaves the court with bleeding feet and sore muscles, only to do the same thing the next day, and the next, and the next. </p><p>Eventually, everything catches up to him, and Tobio collapses on Kentarou’s floor. </p><p> </p><p>He wakes up in the hospital with an IV drip and is scolded by the doctor for severe exhaustion, dehydration, and overworked muscles. Tobio’s world is too grey for him to care, but Kentarou hovers over the doctor’s shoulder and burns a hole in Tobio’s forehead with his stare. When the doctor leaves, Kentarou explodes. </p><p>“YOU DUMB FUCK!” </p><p>Tobio winces. Kentarou sounds two breaths away from murder.</p><p>“FUCKING DUMBASS WITH NO FUCKING SELF PRESERVATION! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING??”</p><p>“I wasn’t. Sorry.”</p><p>“SORRY?? YOU GAVE ME A FUCKING ANXIETY ATTACK!” Kentarou pauses and takes a breath. “Look. You’re grieving. Doesn’t mean you have to self-destruct.”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“<strong><em>Princess</em></strong>.”</p><p>“... Yeah. Sorry for worrying you.” And then the month catches up with him and Tobio sags into the pillows. His shoulders are heavy and Tobio is just <em> so tired. </em> “But he’s <em> gone </em> and volleyball is <em> all I have left </em>.”</p><p>“Dumb. Fuck.” Kentarou reaches out to run a hand through Tobio’s hair. “You said he taught you how to cook and lead a slow dance. You have your grandma. We can buy firecrackers later and burn our homework”</p><p>The grey haze that had taken up residence in Tobio’s chest lifts, and for the first time in two months, Tobio’s next breath comes easily and his shoulders straighten. </p><p>Kentarou’s eyes warm a fraction (Tobio is only now noticing that the corners of Kentarou’s eyes are pulled tight with stress and grief of his own) and the corners of his mouth tilt into a tiny, crooked smile. “Have you set up an altar yet?”</p><p>“I’ll do that with Grandma”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t <em> ever </em>fucking do that to me again.”</p><p>“Mhm”</p><p>“Pork buns?”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Aah.” </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Kageyama formally apologizes to his teammates, but the atmosphere in the gym remains tense and distant. <strike>This is his fault, he's so sorry-- Grandpa, how does he make this better??</strike>. The last tournament of the year is less than a month away, and Tobio is no longer part of the team. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Tobio wakes up on the day of the tournament and automatically knows that it is going to be a bad day. Already, his limbs are heavy despite not having exercised the night before, and the grey haze makes it difficult to think. </p><p> </p><p>He is the second-to-last person to arrive in front of the school and vaguely notes that multiple people are shooting him dirty looks from their seat on the bus. <strike> <em> So tired.  </em> </strike></p><p> </p><p>The first team they are playing is, for lack of better word, horrible. Nobody on the team can receive properly, their blocks are flimsy, and their sets are <em> abominations. </em>At the very end of the match, however, a kid with orange hair flies past Tobio in an incredible display of athletic prowess. If Tobio wasn’t so weighed down by the exhaustion, he probably would have found it in himself to ask for the kid’s name. As it is, Tobio just bows and leaves the court. </p><p>“As expected of the King of the Court”, one of his teammates whispers, “looking down on everybody like that… He’s not even putting in any effort! He just looks bored!” Tobio feels his lips pull into a scowl. <em> That fucking nickname pissed him off so much. And he is putting in effort, he’s just too tired to verbalize anything-- it’s not his fault that tired-grey haze set in today of all days. </em>Suddenly annoyed, Tobio turns around and follows the orange-haired kid out of the building. </p><p>“Hey. You.”</p><p>The kid startles and whirls around to blink at Tobio. He immediately assumes a… defensive(?) stance, with his hands held out in front of him and thumbs tucked inside his fists. <em> What the fuck is he doing? If he punches like that he’ll break his thumbs… What is with this idiot? </em>“W-What do you want!”</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>“Huh” The horrible mimicry of a fighting stance is dropped. <em> Oh thank FUCK. </em>“Oh! I’m Hinata Shoyo! Who’re you?”</p><p>“Kageyama Tobio. Jump good” <em> Fuck. </em>“I mean. Uh. You have nice jumps.”</p><p>“Oh. OH! Thanks!” Hinata smiles, and Tobio blinks at the sheer radiance. “You were pretty cool too! Your serves were all <em> BAM </em> and <em> WOOOSH </em> and <em> THWAKK </em> !! AND YOUR BLOCKS WERE ALL <em> GRRRRR </em> and <em> NYARGHHH </em>” </p><p>Tobio blinks. “Aah. Your jumps are <em> fwoosh. </em>”</p><p>“I KNOW RIGHT!!” Hinata jumps up and down, still beaming. “Sucks that I had to lose to you though!”</p><p>“HAHH! You thought you could win!” Tobio is offended by the mere idea. “Your serves were <em> shit </em> . You couldn’t receive <em> anything </em> ! Your blocks were <em> pathetic </em> . Who the <em> FUCK </em>taught you how to play!!!” By the end of his tirade, Tobio is shaking Hinata by the front of his shirt.</p><p>“Nobody, Bakageyama!!” The idiot looks offended. <em> Why? It’s the truth? </em></p><p>“WHO ARE YOU CALLING STUPID YOU DUMBA-- Wait. You taught yourself?” Tobio stops shaking the idiot. </p><p>“I don’t really have anybody to practice with so…”</p><p>Tobio considers him for a minute. He’s terrible at volleyball. He is really, really horrible at volleyball. The only thing Hinata is good at is jumping. But. <em> But </em>. That athleticism. Tobio sighs. “Give me your number. The Youth Center at Miyagi. I practice there often and the supervisor can teach you the basics.”</p><p>“HAH??” Hinata blinks. “Oh. oh. OHHHH. YESSS!!! I’LL BEAT YOU NEXT TIME!!”</p><p>“AS IF, DUMBASS!”</p><p>“NO, YOU’RE THE DUMBASS, DUMBASS”</p><p>“HAHHHH!!!?”</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Halfway through the final match of this competition, Tobio snaps at Kunimi. It’s not fair of him to do so, <em> he knows that he’s not being fair </em>, but… but. He keeps hearing that goddamn nickname being whispered- by his teammates and the opponents and the random people in the halls- and combined with the day’s overall shitiness, Tobio’s temper snaps. </p><p>“<em> Jump faster.” </em> He practically snarls, “ <em> Why won’t you put it any damn effort!”  </em></p><p> </p><p>The next time he tosses, Kindaichi doesn’t jump. He stands on court, completely still, and glares at Tobio. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Nobody is there. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strike> <em> Like always, silence and empty spaces.  </em> </strike>
</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>The coach pulls Tobio out of the game, and for the first time, Tobio is glad to not be on court. The apathy from earlier in the morning has crept back in and the world grows dull and quiet around him. </p><p><strike>Sorry</strike>. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>The team throws the match because they don’t want to deal with Tobio. Because of Tobio, Kitagawa Diachi won’t be attending nationals. <strike> Everything is his fault, <em> he’s so sorry. Grandpa--- help </em> </strike></p><p> </p><p>Oikawa-san grabs Tobio by the collar of his jacket and slams Tobio into the wall, and Tobio’s first instinct is to lash out and break Oikawa-san’s kneecap. He restrains himself in time and his feet only brush Oikawa-san’s pants.</p><p>Tobio looks up to meet Oikawa-san’s eyes. Oh. He’s talking. Tobio can’t hear anything. </p><p>He squints and lip reads:</p><p>Don’t. You. Dare. Come. To. Aoba. Johsai. <em> King </em> . You’ve. Already. Messed. Up. One. Of. <em> My </em>. Teams. </p><p>
  <strike> <em> Ah </em> <em> .  </em> </strike>
</p><p>Slamming Tobio into the wall one last time, Oikawa turns a corner in the hallway and disappears. With him, the last of Tobio’s disassociation leaves as well, and Tobio sinks to his knees in the abandoned hallway in a delayed panic attack. </p><p>
  <strike> <em> Fuck. He can't breathe. No air. H--  </em> </strike>
</p><p>A hand lands on his shoulder. Tobio instinctively grabs it and pulls, yanking the attached arm (and person) onto the floor with him. It’s a tall, blond male with glasses. Nonthreatening. Tobio lets go. The blond is saying something, but Tobio <em> still can’t FUCKING BREATHE. </em>He claws at his neck and doubles over, hutching into the floor. Hands on his shoulder have him flinching back violently, and he slams into the wall so hard that he instinctively gasps in a breath. </p><p>“--you hear me? Breath with me-- In. Out. In. Out” The stranger is mumbling a count for Tobio, still sprawled on the floor. </p><p>Slowly, Tobio is pulled out of his panic attack. </p><p>“Sorry.” The other guy stops pacing his breaths and raises an eyebrow at Tobio. “First response to getting grabbed was violence. Sorry”</p><p>“You are surprisingly pathetic and not at all what I thought you would be like, you know?” <em> What is that supposed to mean?? </em> Tobio’s face pulls into a scowl, but is cut off by the blond as he stands up ( <em> wow he is tall </em>) and dusts off his pants. “Okay, I’m going now. See you never.”</p><p>Tobio watches as the blond walks off, turning the same corner as Oikawa had earlier. </p><p>
  <em> Ah. I forgot to thank him.  </em>
</p><p>And then the exhaustion catches up, and Tobio crumples into the wall, completely apathetic, and blearily blinks as the color is leached out of the world.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. New Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After the disaster tournament, Tobio quits the volleyball team. He hands in his resignation letter to the coach and walks out of the gym in silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Serves him right” He hears in the hallways, “What did he expect, acting like he was better than everyone?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I never thought that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tobio wants to protest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not worth anything, what about me are you calling arrogant?? </span>
  </em>
  <span>The words die on his tongue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he sees the rest of the team practicing for the spring tournament, he lowers his gaze and awkwardly passes the gym, only relaxing when he leaves the school grounds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobi busies himself by helping his grandma move into a residential home near the mountains. Without her soulmate, Grandma is quieter and more distant. Sometimes, Tobio catches her staring blankly into space, looking like the weight of the silence is slowly crushing her. When she realizes that he is in the room, Grandma apologizes. Tobio wants to tell her that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>understands</span>
  </em>
  <span>, more than anything the burden of the silence. He doesn’t, because telling her would mean that he has to answer questions. Instead, he settles for taking her hand and rubbing soothing circles into her the back of her hands-- an apology and forgiveness in one gesture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They build a shrine for Grandpa in Grandma’s new room, the standard incense and photos (mostly with Tobio and Grandma) plus the addition of Grandpa’s old knee protectors and Tobio’s volleyball. Grandma gives Tobio a handful of photos (“For your own shrine”), but building a shrine for Grandpa is impossible while living under the same roof as his father. Instead, Tobio stores them in an album, hidden in his room between textbooks. He makes duplicates and hides them in Kentarou’s house as well, just in case. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The residential suite Grandma moves into has her sharing a house with two other elderly (a soulmate pair) with a rotating staff of caretakers. It has four bedrooms-- two for the caretakers, one for the other couple, and one for Grandma-- a large kitchen, and a living room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other elderly residents in the house are friendly. Mrs. Akiyama is going deaf, so Tobio spends his free time (he has a lot, now that he has quit volleyball) learning the basics of sign language. He hasn’t yet built up the nerve to try signing with her, but it’s better than relying on the caretaker to translate. She doesn’t speak much, and her hearing seems to be a sensitive issue, so Tobio takes to greeting her with a bow and a slightly-awkward wave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her soulmate, Mrs. Takidaichi, was a doctor, and spends time teaching Tobio the best ways to ease joint pain and scolds him for not taking care of his feet properly. Mrs. Takidaichi loves watching TV dramas (</span>
  <em>
    <span>just,,,, why though?) </span>
  </em>
  <span>and pancakes, so Tobio buys pancake batter in bulk and experiments with different toppings (she squeals and pinches Tobio’s cheeks). Tobio visits often, to check on his grandma and pray at Grandpa’s shrine, and ends up cooking for the three elderly ladies on a weekly basis. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kentarou drops by, twice, and their interactions makes the couple giggle into their hands like schoolgirls (“we ARE schoolgirls at heart, stop making us sound so old!!”) and pinch Kentarou’s cheeks, which Kentarou takes with a tired type of defeated acceptance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time Tobio signs to Mrs. Akiyama, she starts crying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio approaches her with his customary bow, lifts his hand to wave, and hesitates. He brings his other hand up to chest level and signs- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Good morning -- How -- Are -- You -- ? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Mrs. Akiyama drops the cup she is holding and starts sobbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio panics, spinning around to plead with Mrs. Takidaichi, “I didn’t mean to make her cry, I’m so sorry, were my signs wrong??” He expects her to be angry, but her expression is... startled, but fond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it. She’s just happy to be able to talk to you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio is still panicking, so he gestures helplessly at the room in general, “But she’s crying????” A tug on his shirt hem draws his attention to Mrs. Akiyama</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I -- am -- well -- Thank -- You</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio freezes, before signing back:    Would -- you -- like -- pancakes -- ?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She beams at him, which startles Tobio for a second (because she rarely smiles, and Tobio is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>somebody who makes other people happy) and signs:  Chocolate -- Please -- ?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chocolate -- Chips -- ? -- With -- Strawberry -- Slices? -- Easy-- On -- Syrup? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She beams at him, again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a nod, Tobio moves to the kitchen to prepare the batter. Mrs. Takidaichi follows after him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did you learn sign language, boy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio blinks. “Uhhhh.” It has been three weeks since the Disaster Tournament (capitalization necessary), so… “About two and a half weeks ago. I’m taking online classes”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She chokes on her water, and Tobio stares at her, confused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You. You’re saying that-- But. Your signs are so fluid? How fast do you learn???”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We use signals in volleyball too, sometimes. So.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gapes at him. “Thats. That’s still impressive.” Is it really? Tobio doesn’t think much of it. She calls out to Tobio’s grandma, “You’re grandkid is a little genius, isn’t he?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grandma smiles a little tiredly at Tobio, “He struggles so much at English though? Never thought he would take on sign language as well. Doesn’t surprise me, my little boy was always so considerate”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grandma doesn’t smile often, not anymore at least, so Tobio takes the win and doesn’t protest when Mrs. Takidaki throws her arm around him in a hug and ruffles his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A month after the Disaster Tournament™, Tobio’s phone rings. The display reads: Orange Dumbass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio is currently at the ballet studio and it takes him a while to remember who “Orange Dumbass” is. With everything that happened at the end of the day, he barely remembers meeting the horrible-at-volleyball-but-jumps-good kid. Hinata Shouyou. Orange Dumbass. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Heh. The name fits. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“HI KAGE-BAKA!! THIS IS HINATA!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“SHUT UP AND STOP YELLING”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YOU'RE YELLING TOO, WHAT DO YOU MEAN STOP YELLING???”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WELL YOU WERE YELLING FIRST, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO!!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Well. I’ve spent the last month at the youth center like you told me too! And I want a rematch, so…. Are-- Uh. Do you have time?” Tobio blinks, startled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many players are at the gym right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um. There are five, including me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be right there, get ready for a three-on-three” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YESSSS-- wait how lo--” Tobio hangs up and bolts out of the dance studio. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Orange Dumbass is NOT as much of a dumbass as Tobio thought he would be. He still messes up serves, severely, and the only thing impressive about his blocks is his reaction time. However. HOWEVER. The first time Hinata spikes, he zips from one side of the court to the other in a flash, and Tobio only barely catches up in time. For a split second, Hinata’s eyes are locked on Tobio’s side of the court, and then he is slamming the ball in a vicious straight that leaves Tobio gaping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How fast do you fucking learn???” Orange Not-so-Dumb-Dumbass grins at him through the net, completely unrepentant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been practicing for seven hours!” He sounds so proud. “Every day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do your serves still suck then?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OIIII! MEAN!!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When everybody else leaves the youth center at the end of the day, Hinata and Tobio stare at each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you-- Uh. Practice more?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck. So awkward. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“OOOH!” Hinata smiles up at him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So bright. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Are you going to set for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Receiving drills. If you can connect ten times in a row, I’ll set for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“IT’S A PROMISE, YEAH?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Sure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It takes Hinata 30 minutes to connect with the ball ten times in a row. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Unacceptable. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But a promise is a promise, so…. Tobio sets the ball, and Hinata flies up and up and up in an incredible burst of speed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s like watching that ballerina spin on Grandma’s TV screen all those years ago, and Tobio is struck speechless. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Amazing</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next time Hinata calls, two weeks have passed (during which Hinata was taught basics by the coach at the Youth Center). Tobio shows up to the gym, drills Hinata in receiving, and then spends the next hour setting balls for Hinata to spike. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost two hours before lunch, Kentarou shows up and the three of them absolutely WRECK another team in a 3-vs-3. They get lunch (hamburgers, because why not?) and spend almost six hours on court. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kentarou grabs Hinata by the front of his shirts and shakes him like a ragdoll, yelling about running distance and approaches and angles. Hinata looks terrified, but nods along. By the end of the six hours, Hinata can BARELY use the tips Kentarou yelled at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata still has enough energy to bounce around after practice, but Kentarou and Tobio are too busy dying on the floor to be amazed. Hinata leaves, saying that he has to bike up a mountain to get home (no, actually, what the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>does this kid eat???) , and Kentarou and Tobio drag themselves to the locker room, shower, and go back to Kentarou’s house to eat stir-fry. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two and a half months after the Disaster Tournament™, Tobio wakes up in a hospital and is told that his father is going to jail for embezzlement and child abuse. He has been hospitalized with a sprained ankle, bruised ribs, strangulation marks, and a new set of scars running down his left arm from being kicked off the stairs. The police and social workers need to take his statement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cries, but not really, because he still doesn’t know how to cry properly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kentarou visits nearly every day. Hinata shows up twice, the first time with apples, the second with oranges, and prattles on and on about volleyball. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grandma visits every other day. The first time she visits, she sobs into Tobio’s shoulder and apologies until Tobio starts crying too. She asks him </span>
  <em>
    <span>why, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and Tobio doesn’t have an answer for her. Maybe he was scared; maybe he hoped that one day he would be enough and his parents would look at him with pride; maybe he is used to pain and silence and never wanted to put a name to their treatment of him because naming it would mean that it was real. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nurses threaten to tie Tobio into the hospital bed if he even </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinks </span>
  </em>
  <span>about moving around excessively, so Tobio sits in bed, thinking and </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired </span>
  </em>
  <span>and desperate to get back onto court. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon afterwards, Tobio is discharged from the hospital. The school has been notified of the situation and sends Tobio the homework via concerned teacher and tells him he is excused for the foreseeable future. There are only three days left of school anyway, and his grades are good, so Tobio only needs to take the entrance exams for his preferred high school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>OH FUCK. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>HE NEEDS TO PICK A HIGH SCHOOL.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kentarou is going to Aoba Johsai. Tobio considers, but… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shiatoriwaza is one of the top schools in the prefecture, but Tobio isn’t that confident in his studies. He gets by in class by memorizing the information, but reading English and even Japanese gives him headaches sometimes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Karasuno though.... Hm. Maybe?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Soulmate bylaw means that Kentarou’s father is allowed to take custody of Tobio, but instead of moving in with Kentarou, Tobio decides to rent a studio apartment near Karasuno. Kentarou’s dad helps Tobio put his parent’s house up for rent, and that money helps pay for Tobio’s apartment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While reviewing the property rights documents, Kentarou’s father starts giving Tobio strange looks whenever Tobio has to re-read the same paragraph or stutters over unfamiliar words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tobio, could you read this section out loud?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Tobio blinks, confused. “Uh… By signing this contract I… Uh, ap-- aper-” Tobio stops, embarrassed. “I don’t recognize the word.” Heat flushes up his neck and cheeks, and meeting Kyoutani-san’s eyes becomes impossible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tobio. Are you… Are you dylexic?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A doctor’s visit later, Tobio is diagnosed with dyslexia. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No wonder you get lost everywhere, you literally can’t remember the directions or read the maps.” Kentarou muses, ruffling Tobio’s hair, “And here I was thinking you were just an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get better grades than you.” Tobio snarks back, voice purposely flat, “Who’s the idiot, again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“SHUDDAP, I GET BETTER GRADES IN ENGLISH”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? And everything else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“AGGH-- YOU--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kentarou tackles Tobio, and the two of them wrestle on the floor of Kentarou’s living room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Some days are worse than others, and on bad days, Tobio flinches away from even Kentarou and he doesn’t have enough energy to talk properly. Kentarou doesn’t push though, and quietly brings Tobio curry or  settles down to share new volleyball videos or interesting movies with Tobio. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Three days before school starts, Kentarou’s dad (“call me Tsuyoshi and I’ll take you to get your ears pierced”) takes Kentarou and Tobio to the tattoo parlor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo. Tobio, look at this,” Kentarou drags Tobio over to a picture of a full-sleeve tattoo pinned on the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boys, you are too young for tattoos, you can come back to get your ink done when you graduate high-school.” Kentarou’s father, Tsuyoshi-san, seems amused, exchanging small-talk with the receptionist. “Have you chosen your piercings yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess thinks he wants the double helix,” Kentarou says, “I want one on both lobes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhmm. Left ear and silver studs for me. Black for him.” Tobio tells the salon worker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha boys, sit down over there.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Karasuno</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“HINATA-BOKE? WHAT ARE <em> YOU </em>DOING HERE!!!”</p><p>“EHHH! KAGE-BAKA, YOU’RE HERE TOO?”</p><p>Tobio and Hinata are paused at the entrance to Karasuno’s gym</p><p>Hinata squints at him, suspicious, and leans in closer to whisper. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re <em> also </em>here because of the Tiny Giant”</p><p>“No, of <em> course NOT </em>” Tobio whisper-yells right back, “why the fuck are you here?”</p><p> </p><p>And then Hinata and Tobio’s fight knocks the toupee of the vice-principal’s head and…</p><p>“It may not be much, but we made it to nationals, once. We are neither weak nor strong, and the other schools call us the fallen champions.” Daichi-senpai takes a breath, and the atmosphere shifts, sharper than before. “We <b>are </b> going to the nationals, and we need a united team to accomplish that. I don’t know what motivated you to come here, to Karasuno, but I will not allow you to participate in the team practice until you two <em> show us some team awareness </em>.” Then he smiles a dark smile, and chills run up Tobio’s spine.</p><p> </p><p>Tobio is tossed out along with Hinata, and for the first time in a while, the hot-burning-cold shame of <em> it’s-all-your-fault </em> crawls up his throat. Hinata starts talking to him, and Tobio lashes out, again, and they keep bickering outside the gym (Tobio can hear the squeaking of rubber soles on court and the rhythmic thud or smack of the volleyballs). </p><p> </p><p>In the end, Daichi-senpai agrees to let Tobio and Hinata join the team if they can win in a three-on-three match against two other first-years. Tobio agrees, heart in his throat, and turns around to drill proper receives into Hinata’s head. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Tanaka-senpai and Sugawara-senpai come in early the next morning to help them practice, and something soft curls in Tobio’s stomach. They came back? For him?</p><p>Hinata’s receives are horrible. So, so very horrible that Tobio doesn’t even want to set for him. But Hinata has been practicing hard, and he visited the hospital for Tobio… so… Before morning practice ends, Tobio sets for Hinata (reluctantly) and Sugawara-senpai and Tanaka-senpai  watch in wide-eyed shock as Hinata jumps and <em> flies </em>. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>The tall, blond kid, the one who talked Tobio down from a panic attack after Oikawa-san left, is here. Tobio steps up to thank him, belatedly, but the blond asshole blinks down at him, sneering. </p><p>“Aah, look. If it isn’t the King of the Court.” He sneers, eyes cold and sharp behind his glasses, and Tobio only ever felt this small when his father was leaning over him. Tobio steps away and watches quietly as Hinata makes bold declarations. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>As much as he hates to admit it, the blond asshole (Tsukishima Kei) is a smart, tall blocker. Daichi-senpai’s receives are keeping Tobio from scoring too much, and the frustration builds and <em> builds </em>and -- Tobio is tossing, fast and sharp and wild. The “King’s Toss”, they called it in middle school, the Dictator, drunk on his ego. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you know <em> why </em> they called him the King of the Court?” Tsukishima jeers from the other side of the net. Tobio’s ears start ringing, and maybe people are talking to him, but he can’t hear. </p><p>“-- ut that wa-”</p><p>“That’s right.” Tobio is talking before he can stop himself, because if he doesn't stand up for himself now, it won’t be any different from when he let his father throw him around, and Tobio refuses to be that weak ever again. “And it terrifies me, that I am capable of everything I was in middle school.” </p><p>Sudden silence in the gym.</p><p>“No. That’s not right. I’m only terrified of my temper.” Tsukishima looks startled and holding eye-contact is difficult, but Tobio <em> refuses </em>to let anyone push him around again. </p><p>“But I don’t care?” Hinata interrupts, and Tobio breaks eye-contact to stare at Hinata. “You don’t scare me. As long as you toss for me, I don’t really care. We,” Hinata gestures between Tobio and himself, “are going to <em> win </em>and join the team.”</p><p>It doesn’t come as a revelation, that somebody can tolerate his flaws and look past his history. Kentarou was the first to do that. But the way Hinata talks… something shifts, and the world seems sharper, more vivid than it was three seconds previously. </p><p>The game resumes, and Hinata calls for him, “Kageyama!” There is a split second where Hinata jumps, posed for a spike and the world shifts the slightest bit further. </p><p>
  <em> There was nobody there… but… Oh. </em>
</p><p>Hinata makes contact with the ball. </p><p>Oh.</p><p>“Set for me, more!” Hinata declares, and it rings in Tobio’s ears. “I want to stay on court as much as possible!”</p><p>“I got it!” Tobio says, mind whirring as he processes trust, and speed, and jump. “Hinata, get over here.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“<em> You </em>. Give me your athleticism and speed. Just jump as high as you can and swing, I’ll do the rest. Don’t watch the ball.”</p><p>“Okay!” The trust takes him back for a split second, but… Well. They have a game to win. </p><p>The next time Hinata jumps, Tobio calculates Hinata’s trajectory, aims and launches the ball straight into the path of Hinata’s swing. <em> (this position, this timing, this angle!!) </em></p><p>The ball slams down onto the opposite side of the net. </p><p>“Yes!” Tobio feels a delighted smile curl his lips and he takes a moment to bask in the victory.</p><p>“Oi-- Hinata wasn’t looking just now!! He hit the ball with his eyes closed what type of--”</p><p>“It just hit my hand!!” Hinata is cheering, “Oi-- Kageyama, how did-- OW”</p><p>Hinata shifts around and pulls the hem of his shirt up just in time for the rest of the gym to watch black ink to curl across Hinata’s hipbone. Two overlapping circles, like an infinity sign the size of Tobio’s hand, etched over his left hip bone. </p><p>“What the <em> Fuck </em>.” Tobio’s voice is flat. “Who just trusts another person like that, you-- shit.” He pulls up his shirt too, and the infinity mark blooms over his own hip bone even as he watches. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>They won the match and Hinata is geeking out over his new uniform, which, admittedly, looks cool in all black. Nobody mentions the soul-marks. Tanaka-senpai is talking about the proper way to display the logo on the back of the uniform when--</p><p>The doors slam open, and Kageyama flinches, nearly backing into Yamaguchi. </p><p>“You alrigh-” </p><p>Yamaguchi is cut off by the person who barged into the gym.</p><p>“A practice match!! Our opponent is one of the top schools in the prefecture, Aoba Johsai!!” </p><p>People are talking, Hinata is talking to him, but Tobio only hears his blood rushing to his head. </p><p>“-only, under one condition.” The coach is saying, “Kageyama must play as a setter the entire match.” Tobio’s world <em> stops. </em>Not again, why is it always him? Tanaka-senpai is offended and everybody else is awkward, but Sugawara-senpai cuts through the tension. </p><p>“I don’t mind.” He says, “Hinata’s and Kageyama’s new quick, I want to see if it is effective against a top tier team!” Tobio’s stomach <em> twists </em>, because this is unfair, especially to Sugawara-senpai, who has been here longer and is the official setter. </p><p>“Well... I know it’s sudden, but the match is next Tuesday!” Immediately, people are talking, but Tobio focuses on Sugawara-senpai’s face and the way his smile drops the second the attention is off of him. </p><p>Tobio steps away from the rest of the team, moving before he over-thinks this. He takes a deep breath and drops into a formal bow.</p><p>“I got it by default this time, but next time, I’ll earn my spot.” Sugawara-senpai stops and turns back to face Tobio. Everything else in the gym has stopped. </p><p>“Ehh? It’s fine, though? You know… I’m surprised you’re acknowledging me.” Sugawara-senpai tone isn’t mocking, just shocked, so Tobio straightens up from the bow to blink at him.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“I mean… You’re a better setter in terms of athletic ability and talent, so why-”</p><p>“Because you are a setter too, aren't you? You’re smart and you know this team better than I do, <em> and </em> you get along with people. Why <em> wouldn’t </em>I take notice of you?” And Tobio is genuinely confused, because no matter if he had better reflexes or “talent”, Sugawara-sensei was like Oikawa-san with his friendly attitude and people skills -- probably got along better with the team too.</p><p>Sudden silence. Tobio turns around and meets an entire row of shocked faces.</p><p>“What? Why are you looking at me like that??” No reply. Tobio feels heat creep into his cheeks. “<em> WHAT???” </em></p><p>“I-- no. Nothing.” Sugawara-senpai is smiling at him, softer than normal, “Yeah! You’re right! Next time, I’m not gonna lose to you, Kageyama!!” He walks away, practically bouncing, and Tobio is still confused. Why so cheerful?</p><p>“Kageyama… you... are kind of different from the image you present, you know that?” Yamaguchi mutters from his left. Immediately, Tobio is offended.</p><p>“<em> What does that even </em> mean<em>???  </em> Why <em> are you all </em> looking <em> at me like that???”  </em></p><p>Daichi-senpai  laughs as he walks past Tobio, reaching out to ruffle his hair, “Nothing, Kageyama, nothing.”</p><p>“Look at the King, being all sweet” Tuskishima seems to have recovered from whatever stunned him before, but there is less judgement in his eyes when he brushes past Tobio. </p><p>“I-- WHAT?? NO, SOMEBODY EXPLAIN!!”</p><p>“Heh. Softie-yama”</p><p>“OI!!”</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Three days before the match against Aoba Johsai, Tobio and Hinata’s soulbond manifests. </p><p>Tanaka-senpai has a hand wrapped around Tobio’s wrist, and Tobio is half-way to a panic attack. It’s not that he doesn’t like Tanaka-senpai (in fact, Tobio actually really, really, likes him-- because he <em> came back for Tobio, </em> and it’s rare that anybody cares enough to come back for him). Rather, he just didn’t give Tobio much of a warning before grabbing his wrist and pulling him off to help with Hinata’s receives.</p><p>The panic really kicks in when the grip on his wrist tightens, and Tobio realizes he has stopped breathing at the exact moment Hinata cuts in. </p><p>“Tanaka-senpai, please let go of Kageyama.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>Hinata is uncharacteristically serious, golden eyes laser-focused on Tobio’s wrist. </p><p>“Please let go.” Tanaka-senpai lets go, a Tobio near-collapses against the wall, scrambling to get away. </p><p>“Oi, you okay?” Hinata sounds worried, why does he sound worried??</p><p>Tobio opens his mouth to respond, but only ends up wheezing. </p><p>“Kageyama??” More people are taking notice. Breath in, breath out. He gets his breathing back under control. </p><p>“I’m fine.” He sounds like he has been chain-smoking for the past two years, and nobody looked convinced. Tobio pushes himself up, only swaying a little. </p><p>“What was that.” Sugawara-senpai’s question is less of a question and more of a demand. </p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>“Did <em> not </em> look like ‘ <em> nothing’ </em>to me, Kageyama.”</p><p>“<em>Nothing. </em>I’m fine.”</p><p>“That’s no--”</p><p>“He was panicking.” Hinata interrupts, “He really, really didn’t like being grabbed.”</p><p>“<em>Hinata, shut up.” </em></p><p>“Wait, shit, was that my fault?” Tanaka-senpai sounds scared, and that shocks Tobio right out of being defensive. “Didn’t mean to scare you, sorry.” </p><p>“Ah. No it’s… it’s fine.”</p><p>“It’s NOT fine.” Yamaguchi speaks up, surprising Tobio. “What set you off?”</p><p>“Noth--”</p><p>“Please, Kageyama.” Sugawara-senpai steps forward to lay a hand on Tobio’s shoulder. </p><p>“... I. Um.” Tobio is stuttering (<em> why do they care?) </em>“I. I don’t like being grabbed. Sorry.”</p><p>“No, don’t apologize.” this time it is Tuskishima, which, just what the fuck? “We’ll be more careful from now, it’s not <em> THAT </em> big of an inconvenience. Just a <em> small </em>one.” </p><p>That’s more like it. Tobio scowls at the blond jerk. </p><p>“How did you know that Kageyama didn’t like being grabbed? Hinata?” </p><p>“Uh. I just, knew. Kind of”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Like, I got this feeling? Like <em> wagghhh </em>but not mine? And I knew something was wrong and there was this double-feeling? Like. I just knew?”</p><p>“Dumbass shrimp. That makes sense… Maybe. In some language that <em> is </em> <span class="u"> <em> not Japanese </em> </span>”</p><p>“AH.” Enoshita-san snaps his fingers. “Soul-bond.”</p><p>“OHH!!” Hinata sounds excited, “I’M AN EMPATH? WAIT DOES YAMA-YAMA EVEN HAVE FEELINGS?”</p><p>“HINATA-BOKE!” Tobio slams a hand onto Hinata’s hair and ruffles, hard. </p><p>“OWWW!! WAIT! I GOT IT!!!” Hinata jumps away, pointing a finger at Tobio. “Right now, you are… Embarrassed? Confused?” There is a pause. “Oh. uh. That’s a lot of fear.”</p><p>Tobio bristles, reaching instinctively for the odd, double-feeling Hinata mentioned. “WELL, YOU’RE….oh. You’re that worried about the Aoba Johsai match?”</p><p>“... yeah.”</p><p>Tobio sighs, reaching forward to pat Hinata’s head. “Stop poking my fear, I can feel it.” He pauses, considering. “Don’t stress too much. About the match I mean.” And then Tobio steps away, belatedly realizing that everybody in the gym is still watching the exchange. He blushes, ducking down and hurrying over to Yamaguchi, who is the least intimidating of his new teammates and not annoying. </p><p>“Are you guys not talking about your soul-bond?” Also, Yamaguchi is kind and steady and genuinely trying to be helpful. Tobio knows better than to take it for granted.</p><p>“Why would we?”</p><p>“Yeah, Bakageyama and I are soulmates, it’s not that complicated?”</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>“A pair of right idiots, aren’t you? No wonder the two of you are soulmates.”</p><p>“SHUDDAP!”</p><p>“MEAN!! STUPID-SHIMA IS A MEANIE!!”</p><p>“Heh, Stupid-shima.”</p><p>“Tsuki isn’t stupid, take that back!”</p><p>“Yamaguchi.”</p><p>“Sorry Tsuki.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Aoba Johsai</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>On Tuesday, Karasuno gets on the van and drives to Aohba Johsai. Tobio is running on three hours of sleep and a whole lot of fear, but Hinata somehow looks worse than Tobio. The odd not-feeling feeling from Hinata’s side of the bond reads as anxiety, which is an unusual emotion from the constantly cheerful loudmouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just before they get in the car, Tobio reaches over and ruffles Hinata’s hair. “Relax.” Over their bond, he shoves warmth-confidence-</span>
  <em>
    <span>excitement</span>
  </em>
  <span> and takes a seat near the window. Hinata is still too shaky to respond, but he manages a wobbly smile, which is better than nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as his headphones are in and the bus starts moving, Tobio’s anxiety catches up to him as well. Just the thought of being in a room with Kindaichi and Kunimi, let alone a volleyball court, made Tobio’s stomach tighten uncomfortably and chills shake his hands, like his father was the next room over. Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san would be there as well, which was going to push Tobio to an anxiety attack if he thought about it too long. Distraction, he needs a distracti--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata throws up all over Tanaka-senpai’s lap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, then. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Distraction found. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Karasuno gets off the bus, and whatever Tanaka-senpai is saying to Hinata is making his anxiety spike even higher, but Tobio’s anxiety is peaking as well and the feedback loop makes even him a little nauseous. Honestly, Tobio wants to call Hinata pathetic, but calling him out on his anxiety would be hypocritical. On the other hand, Tobio’s really not that good at emotions or talking, so he definitely shouldn’t try to comfort Hinata. So instead, Tobio settles for scowling at Hianta’s back as he staggers to the bathroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, Tobio is following Tanaka-senpai, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima (the bastard) towards the gym and they run into Kindaichi. Because Tobio’s luck is just </span>
  <em>
    <span>that good. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“--eball with this real mean look.” They hear just as they are about to turn the corner. “He looks completely retarded-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tanaka-senpai turns the corner and his “intimidation face” comes on as he stares down the two people that Tobio can’t quite see. Following Tanaka-senpai, Kageyama turns the corner and freezes as he spots Kindaichi. Yamaguchi must have read the sudden tension in his frame, as a warm hand wraps (very, very gently) around his own and tugs Tobio forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep looking down on us.” Tanaka-senpai pauses for dramatic effect. “And we’ll eat you alive.” Tobio un-freezes and taps Yamaguchi’s hand in thanks. Meanwhile, Tsukishima seems to have joined Tanaka-senpai in intimidating Kindaichi and the other volleyball player. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maa, maa.” A condescending smirk stretches across Tsukishima’s face. “You shouldn’t threaten them like that, Tanaka-san.” There is a pause while Tuskishima fixes them with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>look, </span>
  </em>
  <span>voice growing colder while he sneers, “Look, those poor elite are shaking in their boots. Don’t you feel sorry for them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, bullying should be save for th--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tanaka-senpai is cut off when Daichi-senapi comes skidding around the corner and forces him to apologize. Reluctantly amused, Toboi is about to follow Daichi-senpai away when he hears Kindaichi call out to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Long time no see, King.” Out of the corner of his eyes, Tobio sees his teammates freeze. “How’s the dictatorship going? Looking forward to playing you.” Kindaichi’s tone is biting, and guilt creeps up his spine as Tobio bites down on the inside of his cheek. Tobio kind of wishes he were invisible, confrontations </span>
  <b>
    <em><span class="u">really</span> </em>
  </b>
  <span>are not his thing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, Tanaka-senpai is rolling up his sleeves and looks ready to fight for Tobio (which, really, really gets the warm fluttery feelings going) but fighting means that they won’t be able to play, so Tobio squares his shoulders and meets Kindaichi’s eyes. “Sure.” He walks away </span>
  <span>and his hands only shake a little bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tanaka-senapi and Sugawara-senpai both pat him on the shoulder as he walks back to the group, and for a moment, Tobio is so offended he can ignore Kindaichi’s stare burning into his back. “Oi! What was that for??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at you, acting all calm and collected” Tuskishima snarks from Tobio’s right. “The baby’s all grown up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Snarling, Tobio reaches over to elbow the bastard, but Sugawara-senpai boops Tobio’s nose and drags him toward the gym (and away from Kindaichi). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as they enter the gym, all of Tobio’s nerves settle. This is Kentarou’s gym, and (although Kentarou is suspended and is currently not here) Tobio immediately feels safer than he did two minutes ago. Aoba Johsai’s gym is large, with bright white lights, and loud. Players are running drills and yelling and the entire room smells faintly of rubber and sweat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Greet them!” Daichi-senpai says, and Tobio joins the rest of the team in a bow. “All the players here are extremely talented in both offense and defense. On any other team, they would be the ace.” Tobio only listens with half an ear, scanning the room for people </span>
  <strike>
    <span>to avoid</span>
  </strike>
  <span> he knows. Kunimi and Iwaizumi-san are probably regulars, and Tobio finds them easily enough. Kindaichi is most likely still outside. And Oikawa-san… Oikawa-san isn’t here?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The game starts, and at first, Tobio is waiting for Oikawa-san to join the opposing team. Then, he is too distracted to care because Hinata starts diving for balls that aren’t his; crashing into people; and then nails Tobio in the back of the head with a volleyball. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everybody </span>
  <em>
    <span>freezes. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>For a split second, the only thing that registers is the pain. And then Tobio realizes that he was hit with a volleyball. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ball hit Tobio’s head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio was hit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio was hit with a volleyball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata served that volleyball.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata hit Tobio with a volleyball. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Fuck</em>
  </b>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio’s hackles rise. Rather than the haze of blind rage, something dark and quiet turns his head as Tobio stares Hinata down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>White noise buzzes in Tobio’s ears, and his heartbeat grows louder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tanaka-senpai and Tuskishima start laughing at him:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, is your head okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“BOOM! HEADSHOT!!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio turns his gaze to them instead, and the two of them look taken aback for a split second before they resume laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio’s body turns to Hinata, and Tobio feels almost as if he isn’t in control of his body as he takes slow steps in Hanata’s direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata is scrambling back, shouting something, with visible fear in his eyes, but Tobio’s heartbeat drowns him whatever he is saying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio steps forward, Hinata steps back, Tobio follows Hinata, and Hinata retreats. Soon Hinata’s back is pressed up against the wall and Tobio is towering over him. This close, Tobio can see the fear in Hinata’s eyes. Hinata is scared. Hinata is scared of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And… that’s not ok. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio regains control of his body, but he’s seething, so furious, that he can’t bring himself to back up or speak. He doesn’t want to hurt Hinata, but. But. </span>
  <b>
    <em>Anger. </em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What would Kentarou do?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Admitly, not the best line of thought for de-escalating situations, but Kentarou means safety and Tobio’s out of control; he needs the safety net. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kentarou… would… pick a fight?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So. Tobio picks a fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>More specifically, Tobio picks up Hinata. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio reaches out, in slow motion so that Hinata can see Tobio’s not about to hit him, and fists his hand in Hinata’s shirt. Then, he yanks Hinata up by the collar of his shirt until they are nose to nose. Tobio opens his mouth to say… something. He opens his mouth to talk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He has nothing to say, nothing but seething, stormy rage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So instead of talking, Tobio lets that hurricane of emotions build in his throat. The stress from being in the same room as people from Kitagawa Daiichi, Tobio’s own anxiety, the ever-present </span>
  <em>
    <span>fear</span>
  </em>
  <span>, rage. More rage. And then frustration, because really, Hinata can do better than this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The seething mass of emotions crawls up Tobio’s throat, vibrating his entire chest, and then Tobio opens his mouth and </span>
  <b>
    <em>snarls.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound echoes through the gym’s silence, loud and </span>
  <em>
    <span>dark</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>angry</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Hinata flinches, but doesn’t move anywhere because Tobio is holding him off the floor with one arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait. Tobio is holding Hinata up?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio sets Hinata back down and tries again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you nervous.” Less question, more demand. But, hey. At least this time Tobio is speaking human. “Is it their height?” Tobio leans closer, “Is it because this is your first practice match?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hinata sweats, face pale and still scared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio never meant to-- fuck. </span>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <span>Tobio never wanted to be like his father, never wanted Hinata to </span>
    <em>
      <span>fear</span>
    </em>
    <span> like Tobio did whenever Father was angry. </span>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio takes a breath and steps back. He reaches out through the soul bond and Hinata is terrified. Fuck. Tobio is not built for dealing with emotions or for giving reassurances. Even on good days, Tobio struggles to identify his own emotions and talk himself down. Today is not a good day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, like always, Tobio reaches for Kentarou. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kentarou, like safety and strength. Tobio steps back and channels those emotions, shoving them towards Hinata’s side of the bond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes a second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Hinata relaxes. “Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm.” Tobio moves to step away, and freezes because someone is hugging him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugging… him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugs?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Completely bewildered, Tobio glaces down to his waist and sees Hinata’s arms. Is Hinata hugging him? What???</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh?” Tobio’s voice cracks. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m back to normal now, thanks. And sorry.” And Hinata bounces away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... huh?” What the fuck? Tobio feels like he has been hit with another frying pan, like he broke another rib and is struggling to breathe. What just?? Happened? On auto-pilot, Tobio follows Hinata back to court. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, King. You look stupider than usual, snap out of it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio blinks at Tsukishima. Huh? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, King?? You alright? Oi, KING! Jeez, Hinata, what did you do to his royal majesty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t do anything? Like, when he was all </span>
  <em>
    <span>GRRR </span>
  </em>
  <span>at me, I thought he was going to kill me, but then then Softie-yama shoved a bunch of emotions my way, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>awahh, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I just hugged him??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you did broke Kageyama.” Tanaka-senpai’s voice is flat as he waves a hand in front of Tobio’s face. Still, Tobio’s waist feels warm. Hugs? Him? Hugs?? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama. Kageyama. KAGEYAMA TOBIO!” Sugawara-senpai is yelling in his face, hands tightening on his shoulders, and that snaps Tobio right out of shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-YES??” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, good. He’s back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the heck was with that barbarian snarl, your majesty? Where did the King’s dignity go?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio blinks at Tsukishima. “I’m bad at words, so….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire team stops to stare at Tobio. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-- You’re not good at talking... So... you… snarled?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pause. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio thinks about it, and then nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sugawara-senpai bursts out laughing, draping one arm over Tobio’s shoulder. “Kageyama! You’re a riot!!” Tanaka-senpai, Hinata, and Yamaguchi are laughing, and even Daichi-senpai and Tsukishima look reluctantly amused. Tobio is too distracted by the warm arm around his shoulder to respond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The set ends and the next one begins. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On one hand, Tobio and Hinata’s quick-attack works against Aoba Johsai, and Karasuno won. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other… Oikawa-san’s serves have gotten even </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he played in less than half the game, so their win doesn’t really count. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Tobio wavers between excitement and anxiety, he runs into Kindaichi in the bathroom. For a second, Tobio hesitates. Kindaichi really, really doesn’t like Tobio and the thought of speaking to him again sends Tobio halfway to an anxiety attack. But… Tobio needs to apologize, so he calls out to Kindaichi. But before he gets the chance to talk...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> apologize! I’m not gonna apologize either!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To me, you’re still going to be an oppressive King, a jerk, the guy I want to destroy most of all. Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> apologize!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna make up with you, it’s not like we used to be friends anyway!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“..aah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Kindaichi brushes past Tobio, and something soft curls up in Tobio’s chest wilts and </span>
  <em>
    <span>cries </span>
  </em>
  <span>for the boy who approached Tobio back in their first year of middle school, excited for volleyball and so cheerful that Tobio could forget about his parents when they were together. Tobio thinks back to cheering together on the bench while they were first-years, and how Kindaichi always offered to buy Tobio lunch when Tobio “forgot” his lunch at home. Kindaichi was the first to care, and it hurts to let him go. </span>
  <strike>
    <span>But Tobio is used to pain, even if he prefers the physical pain over </span>
    <em>
      <span>this. </span>
    </em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio washes his hands and walks back to the gym. He sits down, taking out bandaids and anti-infection cream, when the the door on Aoba Johsai’s side of the gym slams open, which startles Tobio, but he doesn’t turn to look because looking over means potentially making eye-contact with Kunimi, or Kindaichi... or Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OII, PRINCESS!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What th--” Somebody from Aoba Johsai chokes out in the second of resulting silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Tobio’s head snaps up and he whirls around, incredulous, “Kentarou? I thought you said you were suspended?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo, Princess.” Next to Tobio, Tanaka-senpai chokes on his drink and Hinata trips and falls into Daichi-senpai, who goes toppling off the bench.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait? Is ‘princess’ you, Ki--.” Tuskishima starts to say something, and his voice has taken on that mocking edge, but Tobio is already moving at a half-jog to meet Kentarou at the center of the gym. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I brought you pain relievers and socks, because you are a dumbass and I KNOW you sure as shit didn’t bring them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need them though?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Yeah, no. Dumbass son of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>BITCH</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“--Wait. Did you-- did you just-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio is exhausted; his feet are probably bleeding into his socks, again; and being this close to his old teammates sets him on edge like nothing else quite can (because he hurt them, and Tobio never wants to be like his father), but Kentarou makes that all seem like background noise and an involuntary smile tugs at Tobio’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-- How long have you been waiting to say that??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A long, long fucking while.” A smirk- no, a grin- is also half-formed on Kentarou’s face as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I be a bastard as well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Illegitimate? Yeah, why the hell not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pause as everybody in the gym processes what is happening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, Kentarou snorts and Tobio ducks his head to hide his growing smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi.” Hinata whispers badly, “Is the King laughing???”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Worse.” Yamaguchi stage-whispers back, “I think I saw a smile, like, an actual, pretty smile.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pffffft” Tobio brings up his hand to stifle his laughter, but too late, the sound rings through the gym. Kentarou elbows him, knocking him off balance, and Tobio is already tired from the game and seeing his teammates has been stressful as hell, and-- well. Tobio gives in to hysterical laughter, burying his face in his hands to muffle the sounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-- can’t breath” Tobio chokes out between bouts of hysteria, “Son of a BITCH--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A BASTARD,” Kentarou is leaning into him and shaking with his own chuckles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only sound in the gym is their laughter. Two idiots, laughing at </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the middle of the volleyball gym, with everybody else probably thinking they are some flavor of insane. One side of the gym has known him longer but hates him, the other side barely knows him but tolerates him anyway, and here he is in the middle, laughing at a really, really bad joke. Somehow, that only makes the situation funnier and Tobio devolves to laughing at the situation and then just </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughing </span>
  </em>
  <span>because Kentarou is </span>
  <em>
    <span>here</span>
  </em>
  <span> and laughing with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Kageyama’s kinda pretty, huh.” Yamaguchi’s hushed voice cuts through Tobio’s hysterical giggling and he whips around to stare at his team. Is… are… Are they blushing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you having a gay crisis?” Sugawara-senpai jokes back, but he too is staring at Tobio as if seeing a ghost, or a miracle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Pretty.” Hinata is uncharacteristically quiet, too, and suddenly Tobio feels awkward, a hot flush working its way up his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio clears his throat and straightens up, nudging a still-cackling Kentarou until he straightens up and faces Karasuno.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Kentarou--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kyoutani Kentarou. I’m Princess’... I mean. This idiot’s--” (here, Kentarou pauses to ruffle Tobio’s hair, and Tobio all but melts into Kentarou’s side) “--soulmate. Tobio’s fragile, don’t ya fuckin’ dare hurt him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pause. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the other side of the gym, Oikawa-san and Kindaichi (and multiple others who Tobio doesn’t know) simultaneously does a double take and screechs: “WHAT?!!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Meet Kyoutani Kentarou</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The teams meet Kentarou and Tobio's true forms: the worried mother hen and the self-destructive disaster respectively.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kentarou shifts so he is standing next to Tobio and facing the rest of Karasuno, muscles flexing as tension creeps into his shoulders. He and Tanaka-senpai seem to be having a stare-down, but Tobio is more focused on the way Aoba Johsai’s team is slowly making their way over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio scrunches his eyebrows, ready to say something to Kentarou--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi. Princess.” And Tobio forgets what he was about to say and turns back around to face Kentarou. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who d’ya trust.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tobio?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... tch. All of them.” At this, Kentarou breaks eye contact with Tanaka, whipping around to stare Tobio down instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All? Ya’ kidding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... mh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Well. Pick one”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babysitting.” Tobio does not want to be baby-sat, much less by his teammates. He wrinkles his nose and glares at Kentarou.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not an option.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> fine, stop spewing shitty lies.” And Tobio is ready to protest or shout or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> so he straightens up and sneers, eyebrows scrunching, but then Kentarou sighs and tilts his head. “Please. Don’t wanna worry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. Sometimes, Tobio forgets just how much Kentarou cares, and every time he is reminded, all of Tobio’s defences crumple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Aah.” Tobio turns and studies his teammates, who are staring between him and Kentarou with increasing bewilderment. “Daichi-senpai is reliable. Sugawara-senpai is kind… Shimizu-senpai is… dignified” Tobio gestures at each member as he points them out, avoiding their eyes and ignoring the heat in his ears. “Kinoshita senpai and Narita senpai are scared of me, probably. Ennoshita-senpai is steady. Tanaka-senpai is passionate. Yamaguchi is… gentle? Or kind.” Tobio hesitates, studying Tsukishima and Hinata.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the other two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Tsukishima is… okay, I guess. Hinata…Summer sun.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Summer sun.” Kentarou’s voice has gone flat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well. Fuck. You really do like them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What just happened?” Daichi-senpai whispers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but stop ruining the moment” Sugawara-senpai hisses back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, oi, oi, what is this? Were those compliments from the King himself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring them, Kentarou stares Tobio down. “Pick one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yamaguchi. Or Tsukishima.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kentarou scowls, a question in the furrow of his brows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dumbass Hinata would stress too much. The captains and Enoshita-senpai are busy, but I wouldn’t mind them. Yamaguchi is… gentle. Tsukishima wouldn’t let me get away with anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tch.” The lopsided angle of Kentarou’s scowl says he is shocked, most likely because Tobio knows more about his team than just their faces and actually trusts them to help. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you.” Tobio gives Kentarou his best smug-cat smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” Kentarou stalks away from Tobio and towards Karasuno, and Tobio takes this opportunity to re-apply his bandages. Sitting on the floor, Tobio carefully wiggles off his shoes and socks, wincing only a little when the bandages catch on the fabric. Flipping the socks inside out, Tobio frowns at the bloodstains before starting to unwrap the bandages over the rest of his foot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“--ways pack extra bandages and medical cream and painkillers.” Kentarou is lecturing and Tobio listens with only half a ear. “Socks, too. And towels on rainy days-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you think we’ll need all those?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you dumb? Have you </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tobio’s feet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would w--- What do his feet have to do with anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the abrupt halt in the conversation, Tobio stops tugging at the last of the bandages to look up at his team. They are… staring at him? No, they’re staring at his feet. Is it the blood they are worried about?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I know better than to get blood everywhere” Tobio reassures them, because he knows cleaning up blood can be annoying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The team stops staring at his feet to stare at his face instead. What? Why are they looking at him like that??</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what they are concerned about, you volleyball maniac” Tuskishima is tenser than normal too. Maybe he doesn’t like blood?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally, they are in even shitter condition.” Kentarou’s face is grim as he joins Karasuno in staring at Tobio’s feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm. Knew better than to hurt myself before a match”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not the fucking problem here, Princess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sugawara-senpai makes a brief keening sound and leans over to clutch Kentarou’s shoulders. “Thank you.” Kentarou looks confused. “For telling us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just do your shitty job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>??? What are they talking about? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio gives up on following the conversation and re-focuses on his feet. The blisters from his pointe shoes leave bloody red spots on the bandages as Tobio unwraps his feet. His big toe and the adjacent toe on each foot needs to be wrapped, and Tobio carefully re-tapes his toes.The back of his ankles are only scraped, but they are bleeding rather heavily, so Tobio uses a cotton pad to absorb the blood and wraps the bandages around the cotton so it doesn’t leak. Testing his feet by wiggling his ankles and tapping them against the floor, Tobio deems his handiwork satisfactory and stands up… Oh. Oikawa-senpai is practically hovering on top of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio swallows the immediate panic and carefully steps backwards until he is pressed into Kentarou’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fuck? What do you want.” Kentarou snarls at Oikawa-san and the rest of Aoba Johsai, most of whom have joined Oikawa-senpai and Karasuno at staring in Tobio’s general direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio waves a hand in front of Kentarou’s face to silence him before addressing Oikawa-san. “Sorry. I made sure there was no blood on your floors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tuskishima makes a strangled sound that has Tobio raising an eyebrow. “King, we </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>went over this. It’s not the floors we are worried about here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reflexively scowling at the nickname, Tobio mumbles, “I don’t get it then. Why are you all looking at me like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to your feet, Tobio-chan?” Oikawa-san’s voice is a saccharine croon that has all the hairs on Tobio’s neck rising. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” At the multiple disbelieving looks Tobio gets, he bristles. “I wouldn’t hurt myself before a match, my feet were always like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama, when did that happen?” Kunimi’s normally apathetic face is drawn tight in… worry? Annoyance? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>told </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, they were always like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tobio-chan</span>
  </em>
  <span>, feet aren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to bleed like that, so it must have happened </span>
  <em>
    <span>sometime</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ve been like that since before I met him.” Kentarou wraps his arm around Tobio’s waist and pulls him closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi-senpai raises an eyebrow. “And when was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tobio’s first year of Junior High”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean to tell me that Kageyama played like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> with his feet like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Tanaka-senpai bursts out, disbelieving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m used to pain.” Tobio’s statement makes the number of horrified faces increase. Tobio blinks at them and shrugs, giving up on trying to understand. “I have high pain tolerance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tanaka-senpai steps closer and pokes at Tobio. “This looks like it should hurt like hell to jump on. What type of pain tolerance do you have??”</span>
</p><p><span>Kentarou snorts. “This bastard played volleyball for two hours with a </span><b><em>broken rib </em></b><span>that </span><em><span>he didn’t tell anyone about</span></em><span>,</span> <span>and I had to drag him to the hospital when he collapsed. Princess here thinks he can ignore pain and won’t </span><em><span>tell people </span></em><span>that he is hurt, which makes his pain tolerance a fuckin’ curse, ”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Two hours. With a broken rib.” Daichi-senpai’s voice is flat and complexion pale. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s already been lectured about the stupidity”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two hours.” This time, it is Ennoshita-san, his expression dark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama… what the heck.” Sugawara-senpai’s voice is shaky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“’m fine”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I said, Tobio, ya never fuckin’ fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio opens his mouth to protest, but then the psychiatrist’s evaluation of him comes to mind. “... mhm” Judging by the way Kentarou’s forehead spawns wrinkles as he scrunches his eyebrows, Kentarou must have had the same thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hesitantly, and keeping a careful eye on Tobio’s reaction, Kentarou tells his audience, “Tobio’s mental health is… bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t fucking sugarcoat it. My mental health is dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shitty bastard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m being honest, don’t make that fucking face at me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... tch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio turns around and faces Karasuno. “The psychiatrist said my mental health is dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And they said that literally? Straight to your face?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to elaborate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doctor said Tobio has so much ‘repressed trauma’ it’s a ‘wonder he’s a functioning member of society’.” Kentarou jerks his fingers through the air in aggressive air quotes to emphasize his point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>‘tarou</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honesty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... tch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also, Tobio has difficulties sleeping and knowing when to rest. He’ll never tell you if something is wrong, and his shitty pain tolerance means none of ya shitty players ’ll fuckin’ notice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Kentarou.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t be there. Better they hear it now than when you fuckin’ collapse from practicing all fucking night instead of sleeping and they need to drag your ass all the way to the shitty hospital.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t done that since last year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t’a done it at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘S a’ite”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No it’s not. You keep bringing it up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama had to be taken to the hospital.” Iwaizumi-san's tone is completely flat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For overworking himself.” Sugawara-senpai’s voice is flatter, rising steadily in pitch as his mouth quirks down at the edges. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait. Kageyama, are you okay with him telling us all of this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio blinks and tilts his head in Enoshita-senpai’s direction. “Should I care?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh. I mean-- Yes, I trust Kentarou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um… Sorry to interrupt, but we really should get going soon?” Takeda-sensei speaks up from where the coaches are also staring at Tobio. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, everyone. Are your bags packed?” Daichi-senpai turns to count heads. “Then, everyone--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tobio’s coming with me.” Kentarou announces, wrapping an arm around Tobio’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since fuckin when, Kyo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re having yakisoba.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio turns back around to face his team. “May I go with Kentarou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid-yama, if you’re going to ask for permison, don’t make it sound like a demand!” Hinata bounces up to him, and Tobio reaches out to push a hand through Hinata’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dumbass-Hinata!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just saying!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you were being a smartass, I could feel your shitty glee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OKAY, OKAY. STOP RUFFLING MY HAIR!!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“THANK YOU FOR THE MATCH!” Bowing one last time, Tobio turns and follows his team to the van. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi-senpai leads the way to the van, addressing the rest of the team over his shoulder. “Takeda-sensei sang our praises, but honestly we were still lacking something needed to win against Oikawa and the rest of Sejoh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oikawa-san steps out and snarks at Daichi-senpai, but Kentarou pulls Tobio away from the confrontation and taps twice at Tobio’s wrist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your soulmate?” Kentarou jerks his head at Hinata.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t say anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t? No-- I… I didn’t. Fuck. Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We found out last Tuesday. You were suspended the day after.” (Meaning Kentarou was too angry for sensitive subjects and decompressed by smacking volleyballs) “and I had… bad couple of days. After, it seemed irrelevant. Hinata and I haven’t talked about it either”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...ah.” Kentarou still sounds subdued, so Tobio drops his head onto Kentarou’s shoulder and presses against his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you two even doing?” Aoba Johsai’s team has followed them out of the gym and a middle blocker— the third year player, not Kindaichi— is talking to them. Why is he talking to Tobio? Who is he?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(Tobio doesn’t even know his name, fuck.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Nothing.” Tobio eventually says, eyeing the middle blocker warily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh-ho? Doesn’t look like ‘nothing’ to me.” a wing spiker, the pink-haired third year, drawls. Tobio blinks at him. Once. Twice. Pink-hair just expressed his opinion. Is Tobio supposed to respond? Tobio has no opinions about Pink-hair’s opinion though. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The middle blocker sighs. “What’s your relationship, even? I’ve never seen Mad Dog-chan so docile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve never seen the King so docile either,” Tuskishima drawls, and Tobio realizes that both teams are staring at him and Kentarou again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you two…” Kunimi starts, hesitates, and then starts again. “Are you two… </span>
  <em>
    <span>you know.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Tobio does </span>
  <b>
    <em>not </em>
  </b>
  <span>know and Kentarou is still unnaturally quiet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kindaichi must read his confusion, because he blurts out, “Are you--. UH. Do you… Do you… love… him.” Kindaichi’s voice gets quieter with every pause, and by the end of his question, he is staring at the ground with red ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s not something you shou--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Tobio cuts off Sugawara-senpai's scolding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So--. I. Wait what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… love Kyoutani-san?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio moves aside in time to dodge the left hook that Kentarou throws at him, raises an eyebrow at Kentarou, and sways to the right to avoid the punch that is aimed at his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you embarrassed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“FUCK. OFF” Kentarou aims a punch at Tobio’s torso, but Tobio catches it and holds Kentarou still. Hmmm. Kentarou is blushing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh. You’re bright red.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I SAID. FUCK. OFF”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh. No.” Taking advantage of Kentarou’s momentary confusion, Tobio sweeps his leg into the back of Kentarou’s knees, dropping him to the ground. Kentarou doesn’t get up, and instead, buries his head into his hands from where he is sitting on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a menace.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re still blushing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck. You.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh.” Smirk only growing at the chance to embarrass Kentarou farther, Tobio steps carefully out of punch-range and considers. “You are… Summer nights and firecrackers, old movies and iron.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Warmth and safety and home. Joy. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Then, Tobio braces for the explosion, safely out of the danger zone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of responding, however, Kentarou lifts his head out of his hands to stare at Tobio. There is something shocked and almost vulnerable in his eyes that has Tobio pausing, stepping forwards, and tapping twice at Kentarou’s bicep, where their soulmark is hidden beneath his clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aah?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jealousy, confusion, relief </span>
  </em>
  <span>written in the tension of Kentarou’s shoulders and the tight edge of his eyes. Distantly, Tobio realizes that Kentarou was hurt. Because Tobio didn’t tell him about Hinata? Again, proof that Kentarou cares turns Tobio into a pile of soft, happy </span>
  <em>
    <span>feelings</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ew. Kentarou is still the only person Tobio trusts fully, why does he suddenly doubt that Tobio cares? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you even think otherwise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...ngh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Idiot.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...tch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somebody clears their throat behind them, and there is a flurry of activity while Karasuno resumes loading into the van. Karasuno leaves, with Hinata waving at Tobio while sticking his head out the window and Daichi-san yelling about seatbelts and car safety. Aoba Johsai heads back to clean up the gym, and Tobio and Kentarou head home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio is so relieved that they (Kunimi, Kindaichi, Iwaizumi-san, Oikawa-san) are gone that he leans his full weight into Kentarou while walking. Kentarou scowls at him, but doesn’t pull away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day, after practice, Tobio drops by Aoba Johsai. Leaning on the gate, Tobio gently twirls two flowers between his fingers, watching them spin while waiting for Kentarou’s detention to end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo~ho~ Tobio-chan!” Tensing, Tobio straightens and turns to face Oikawa-senpai and the other players. Carefully, he avoids meeting anyone’s eyes and fixes his gaze on Oikawa-senpai’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama. Did you need something?” Iwaizumi-senpai asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Waiting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez, you’re really bad at small talk, aren’t you.” A voice Tobio doesn’t fully recognize asks, so Tobio (reluctantly) lifts his eyes from Oikawa-senpai’s shoulder to see who is talking to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know… Middle-blocker-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pfft.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” The pink haired third year chuckles as he pushes past the third year middle blocker and Oikawa-san to stand in front of Tobio. “Trashy-captain was right. You really don’t have social skills, do you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio considers this. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you don’t have social skills?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“PFFFT. Oh my god, he’s fucking hillarious.” The wing spiker turns to the rest of Aoba Johsai, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Shame on you, Kunimi, Kindaichi. You never told me he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>fun to mess with.” Kunimi and Kindaichi are just staring at him blankly, so Tobio awkwardly looks away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The middle blocker wraps an arm around pink-hair, peering down at Tobio. “You don’t know my name, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Matsukawa Issei. He’s Hanamaki Takahiro. Nice to finally meet the famous genius setter”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice… to meet… you… too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are the flowers for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kentarou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s suspended from club activities for another--” Matsukawa-san is shoved aside as Kentarou pushes past the other players to get to Tobio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess. Why are you here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tobio holds out the two flowers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aah?” [</span>
  <em>
    <span>For me?</span>
  </em>
  <span>]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” [</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>.]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lilly of the valley and bellflower. Sorry and thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kentarou raises an eyebrow, scowling. [</span>
  <em>
    <span>What for?</span>
  </em>
  <span>]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not telling you ‘bout the soulmate thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah.” [</span>
  <em>
    <span>Apology accepted</span>
  </em>
  <span>]</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” [</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thanks.</span>
  </em>
  <span>]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without another word, Kentarou and Tobio turn and walk away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What even was that? I feel like half their conversation was just ‘ah’ or ‘mhm’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Probably because half their conversation </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>‘ah’ or ‘mhm’, Maki.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Iwa-chan should get </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>flowers too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Smack. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shitty-kawa.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The dialogue is kinda choppy, but I would bet my entire pizza that Kentarou and Tobio communicate without words (telepathy, maybe??). Also, Aoba Johsai's reaction didn't flow with the rest of the chapter, so that will be included later...</p><p>Thanks for reading!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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